


I'm in Love with the Shape of You

by laPamplemousse



Category: Final Fantasy XV
Genre: 3 years younger than Ignis, 4 years younger than Gladio, Alternate Universe, Angst, Big Brother Ignis, F/M, POV Second Person, Pining, Rated for future chapters, Reader is 1 year younger than Noctis and Prompto, Reader-Insert, Secret Crush, Slow Burn, Unrequited Crush, Unresolved Romantic Tension, Unresolved Sexual Tension, no road trip
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-01-31
Updated: 2017-09-21
Packaged: 2018-09-21 00:49:43
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 10
Words: 40,687
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/9524015
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/laPamplemousse/pseuds/laPamplemousse
Summary: This started off as a self-indulgent reader/self-insert Gladio one-shot, but it has gone much deeper than that. Soooo yeah.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> This is really cliche and cheesy but I wrote it for myself so I don't really care ¯\\_(ツ)_/¯

All you can remember from that night are the sounds. That gods-awful roar the daemon made before it attacked, so loud and deep you could feel it in your chest. The screams of your parents from the front seat. The blood-curdling sound of rending metal as the car split in two. Your mother’s words, _Run, get away from here! Hurry, run! We love you, sweetie._ The thud of your feet on the pavement, blood pounding in your ears. Breathing so hard you could barely hear the chaos behind you. But you did hear it. The roaring, the screams, the impossibly loud crash of metal on pavement, and then...nothing. Sobs tore from your raw throat. A voice, deep and warm as strong arms pulled you into their embrace, _Shhh, it’s okay, I’ve got you. I’m going to take you somewhere safe, okay?_

You woke up to harsh whispers. You were under the covers in a huge, soft bed. At the foot of the bed stood the man who saved you, and another, larger man you didn’t recognize. They hadn’t noticed you were awake, so you closed your eyes and listened to their conversation. 

“Why did you bring her here? You should have brought her to the police, or social services, not the damn Citadel! What were you thinking, Cor?” The other man whispered harshly.

The man who saved you, Cor, was much calmer in his reply, though he was still quite serious. “I checked the license plate, Clarus. The car belonged to the Platinas. This is their only daughter.”

“Shit,” the man named Clarus swore, not even bothering to whisper. Cor shushed him. “Don’t they have any other family she can stay with?” 

“No. She’s the last of their line,” Cor replied solemnly. “We can’t just give the last living heir of one of Lucis’ most noble families over to social services. She needs to be raised with knowledge and appreciation of her heritage, and to learn her place in society.”

“She is only what, four years old? She probably hasn’t even started etiquette training. You certainly can’t raise her yourself—who in the Crown City would be able and willing to take her?” There was a silent pause. “No, don’t look at me like that. I barely have enough time for my own two kids. We can’t handle another one.”

“What about that kid, the Prince’s retainer? He’s got parents, right?” Cor asked.

“Ignis Scientia?” Clarus asked. He paused to think. “No, his parents sent him here alone. I think his uncle lives here, though.”

So it was decided. You went to live with Ignis and his uncle, though you spent almost all of your time at the palace. Ignis, at only seven years old when you met him, was more your guardian than his uncle. He arranged for you to be tutored at the palace, though separately from himself and the Prince. You studied all of the major subjects, in addition to etiquette, dance, martial arts, and an array of business subjects. Your family had, after all, been owners of one of the biggest companies on Eos, Ebony Coffee (something that would earn you favor with the advisor later on). It was a lonely childhood; Ignis spent most of his time with the Prince and you hardly saw anyone but your instructors and governesses. When you did see Ignis he was strict, overseeing every part of your life from the food you ate to the clothes you wore—even how you styled your hair. That isn’t to say that Ignis was cold. When you had a nightmare and couldn’t sleep, he’d let you crawl into his bed and he’d read you a story. When you achieved good marks in your studies he would make your favorite dessert. He was like a distant older brother to you.

\-----

When the Prince returned from Tenebrae, you and Ignis moved to the palace. You had separate quarters, Ignis staying close to the young Prince, and you living in another wing entirely. It was lonely and frightening. Ignis had been your only semblance of family for over half your life, and now he belonged almost entirely to the Prince. Cor visited you on occasion, bringing you toys and sweets. He would read you a story or play games with you, but his visits were always too short and too sparse. Your only real companions were the toys Ignis and Cor had given you. You confided in them, played with them, slept with them, did your homework with them. You wished desperately that they could be real. 

One day when you were ten years old, you were playing outside when you saw a dog—a real, live, dog—running towards the palace. You called to it, running after it. “Wait, doggy!” The dog slowed, turning briefly to look at you. It let you approach, then sat down when you reached to pet it. Around its neck was a notebook, tied in ribbon. You sat there, petting the dog and talking to it until eventually you fell asleep with your head in its fur. You were awakened by Ignis shaking you with one hand. “Ms. Platina!” he said firmly. He only called you that when he was really angry. You jumped up, forgetting that you had fallen asleep with the dog, and almost stepped on its tail. 

“There you are!” Ignis continued, voice rising. “What are you doing with Lady Lunafreya’s dog?” 

A voice came from behind Ignis. “Iggy, is that Umbra?” 

The dog jumped up and started running past Ignis, going about 30 meters before meeting up with a pale, dark-haired boy. _The Prince._ He greeted the dog joyfully, then they both came over to join you and Ignis.

Immediately you bowed your head, bending into a perfect curtsy as you had been taught. “Your Highness,” you said softly. 

“Highness, may I introduce Ms. Platina? Ms. Platina, this is the Crown Prince Noctis Lucis Caelum, heir to the throne of Lucis,” Ignis said stiffly.

The Prince reached out to take your hand. “Um, you don’t have to bow…” he said, almost embarrassed. “It’s a pleasure to meet you,” he added, giving you a small smile as you lifted your head to face him.

You shook his hand gently before letting your fingers fall gracefully from his. “The p-pleasure is all m-mine,” you replied, trying to sound sophisticated, but the words stuck in your throat from nerves. You looked into the Prince’s deep blue eyes and thought you had never seen anyone quite so beautiful. 

Ignis turned to the Prince. “Noct, take Umbra up to your rooms. I’m sure Lady Lunafreya has written a nice message for you,” he said warmly. 

The Prince nodded, giving you a shy wave before heading into the palace alongside the dog. 

Ignis turned back to you, all the warmth he’d had suddenly gone. “You missed your ballet lesson. You will have to do two extra hours this weekend,” he said flatly. “What were you even doing?” he asked, indignant. 

You couldn’t speak. Tears filled your eyes and gushed down your cheeks, unladylike sobs pouring loudly from you. You simply turned and ran, not caring where you were going, through the gardens and out past the main gate. Ignis called after you but you kept running, tears blinding you as you rushed aimlessly into the city. You stopped in the middle of the street when you heard a car horn honking loudly at you. When you turned you saw the car was barrelling towards you, unable to stop, but you were frozen in fear. It all happened so fast you thought you were dead at first, lying on the ground with a heavy weight on top of you. You could see the night sky above, the stars shining down on you, the weight on your body oddly warm and comforting. In an instant Ignis’ face appeared before yours, his hands cupping your cheeks. 

He whispered your name, too many emotions in his voice to truly be Ignis. “Are you all right?” he asked, afraid and concerned. This was definitely not the Ignis you’d known as of late. 

He called you by the nickname he’d given you years ago, long since unused, “Ma minette, are you okay?” _Ma minette. His pussycat._ He pressed his forehead to yours. “Please, say something!” he begged, tears starting to form in his eyes. 

You smiled up at him, wrapping your arms around his neck—the first hug you’d had in a long time. “I’m fine Iggy,” you said softly. 

His eyes lit up and he wrapped his arms around you, lifting you up so that you were sitting together, holding each other tightly. “I’m so sorry I’ve been neglecting you, my dear. I’ve just been so busy with the Prince… but that is no excuse. You are my responsibility too.” He pulled back to look at you, his eyes clouded with guilt. “No, that’s not true. You’re more than just my responsibility. You’re my family. I care about you deeply. I should have been there for you.”

“It’s okay.” You smiled at him, your little heart full. “I love you, Iggy,” you whispered.

He carried you back to the palace, then tucked you into bed and read you a story. You were almost asleep by the time he’d finished, but as he got up to leave you grabbed his hand, pulling him back towards you. He sat next to you on the bed and you snuggled up to him, making it impossible for him to leave. He relaxed, obviously defeated, and pulled the covers up over himself as well. You fell asleep next to the long-missed warmth of his body and the soothing motion of his fingers stroking your hair. 

The next day, Ignis had your quarters moved next to his—in the same wing as the Prince. He made a point to spend more time with you, teaching you to cook and helping you with your homework (though you rarely needed it, you just enjoyed spending time with him). You would have movie and game nights, and sometimes the Prince—Noctis, as he insisted you call him—would join. You still spent most of your time with your governesses and tutors, but you weren’t lonely as you had been before. Noctis was a good friend, and Ignis was a fiercely protective older brother.

\-----

The summer you turned 14, Ignis threw a big surprise birthday party for you. Well, big compared to the others that had just been you and him. “You’ll be starting high school this year and I’ll be busy at the university, so I thought you deserved a proper fête,” Ignis had said. He’d invited everyone you knew, which wasn’t a lot. Prince Noctis and Cor were there, as was Ignis’ uncle, and a few of the palace staff’s children that you’d played with on occasion. He’d also invited a few people you recognized by sight but had never met—Noctis’ friends. 

Noctis came up to you, a shy smile on his face. “Happy Birthday! I hope you don’t mind, I wanted my friends to meet you,” he said. 

As if on cue, a wiry blond teen about Noctis’ age came running over to you. “Hi! I’m Prompto, Noct’s friend from school!” he said brightly, extending his hand to you. You started to introduce yourself when he interrupted you, “Well of course I know who you are! Noct talks about you all the time and I always see you around. I’m so happy I finally get to meet you!” 

You flushed, both at Prompto’s excitement over meeting you and his admission that Noctis talked about you to his friends. _All the time._ You honestly couldn’t imagine what he would be saying about you, there wasn’t much _to_ say. Unless he complained about how annoying you were or how you took up too much of Ignis’ time or how you were just a useless orphan living in the palace for free… 

“Yeah… anyway…” Noctis said, rubbing the back of his neck. He gestured towards a small dark-haired girl, a few years younger than you. “This is Iris Amicitia. Her dad is my dad’s Shield, advisor, and best friend,” Noctis explained. 

Iris gave a smile and a small wave. “I hope I’ll be pretty like you when I get older!” she said quickly, “And I hope we can become good friends!”

Iris was quickly pushed out of the way by a strong, tattooed arm. “Gladdyyyyy!” Iris protested, though she moved away from you. You looked up to see the person Iris had been talking to. _Oh._ You recognized him instantly as Noctis’ Shield, who’d been training the Prince in combat and weapons for the past several years. You’d seen him in the halls on his way to the palace’s training facility. A few times, you’d even been bold enough to walk by when he and Noctis were sparring, letting your eyes linger on the drops of sweat that rolled down the artwork of his skin. Your cheeks flushed deeper at the thought.

“So you’re the little sister Iggy’s been keeping from us,” he said with a smirk. He looked you up and down before glancing over at Ignis, who had suddenly appeared at your side. “No wonder; you’re a little cutie,” he added. 

Ignis glared at him— _what was his name again?_

“My dear,” Ignis said, his voice the scary sort of calm that meant he was livid, “This is Gladiolus Amicitia, Shield to the Crown Prince of Lucis.” You thought you heard him whisper, _“And ill-mannered brute.”_ He gestured at Gladiolus with a gloved hand. 

You extended your hand in greeting. “It’s nice to meet you, Gladiolus. Thank you for coming to my party,” you said formally, hoping he wouldn’t notice the way your knees shook. Your whole body suddenly felt unbearably hot.

Gladiolus let out a laugh. “Just call me Gladio. And yeah, my job is kicking the royal brat’s ass on a daily basis.” He ignored your outstretched hand, pulling you into a tight hug instead. “Happy Birthday!” he said, and you could feel the rumble of his voice in his chest. You thought you might die, pressed against the muscled heat of his body. He smelled like musk and leather and fine cologne, and you felt your body go weak, sagging against him for a moment before he let you go. “I wanted to meet you sooner, but Iggy wouldn’t let us.” He made an exaggerated pout at Ignis.

Ignis pushed his glasses up on his nose, making an almost imperceptible tutting sound with his tongue. “This is precisely the reason I prevented you from meeting her. She needs to be protected from your terrible influence,” Ignis snapped.

“C’mon Iggy, I’m just playing around,” Gladio said. “Oh!” He suddenly reached into the waistband of his pants, pulling out a Cup Noodles with a bow on it. “This is for you!” He grinned, even though you were giving him an incredibly odd look. 

“Thank you?” you said, unsure how to react.

The rest of the party was rather fun, if uneventful, until it came time for you to blow out your candles. Iggy had made your favorite cupcakes with frosting, packing them together in a rectangle and writing Happy Birthday in your favorite colored icing over the top. There were cupcakes with each individual letter of your name on them, and the fourteen candles were divided amongst them. After everyone sang Happy Birthday to you, you made a wish and went to blow out the candles. You took a deep breath and managed to get all of the candles in one sweep, smiling triumphantly. To your dismay the candles all reignited, sparking to life before your eyes as everyone around you laughed. You gave a good-natured smile and tried again, again successfully blowing out all the candles, and again hearing everyone laugh when they sparked up. You tried one more time, on the verge of tears, before Gladio stopped you. 

“Hey, they’re trick candles, you can’t just blow them out,” he said, smiling warmly at you. You gave him a bewildered look and it hit him. Growing up sheltered as you were, you’d never heard of trick candles, and of course Ignis would have never bothered with something so frivolous. Gladio quickly licked his fingers and snuffed out the candles, seeing your eyes full of tears. 

“Hey, it’s okay, it’s just a joke,” he said softly, wrapping his arm around your shoulders. He picked up the cupcake with the first letter of your name on it and took off the candles before holding it out to you. When you didn’t take it he peeled the wrapper off one side, then pressed it against your lips. You could smell the cake and the frosting as it lightly touched your mouth. You sighed through your nose then looked at Gladio, his attention rapt on you as he watched you slowly open your mouth, licking a bit of the frosting before taking a bite. 

“There you go,” he whispered. “Feel better, cupcake?” 

You nodded, suddenly aware that there were other people in the room and they all had their eyes on you. You finished your bite of the cake, then announced, “It’s delicious! Thank you so much everyone!” which seemed to put the rest of the room at ease. 

Everyone ate cupcakes and then it was time for you to open presents. You got some makeup, earrings, a little purse, and a music gift card from the palace staff. Cor got you a taser and pepper spray ( _You need to be able to protect yourself now that you’re…older_ ), Noctis gave you a bunch of DVDs and an e-reader full of books, Iris gave you a stuffed Moogle doll, and Prompto gave you a few bottles of body spray and scented lotion from that one lingerie store at the mall. Of course there was Gladio’s package of Cup Noodles ( _It’s the really rare jabberwock flavor, they don’t even sell it here!_ ) and finally it was time for Ignis’ present. It felt soft and heavy at the same time, fairly large, and you wondered what it might be. You tore the wrapping paper away (actually only carefully removing the tape so that the paper could be folded up and used later) to reveal a backpack with your favorite videogame characters on it. Inside the backpack was a brand new laptop, a new tablet, and new cell phone, as well as a day planner and several leather-bound notebooks with a set of expensive pens to match. 

You stared at Ignis, your jaw open down to the floor. “Iggy…” you said quietly, voice weak with emotion.

Ignis stared back at you, eyes wet and a soft smile on his face. “Well,” he started, voice almost cracking. He cleared his throat, schooling his features. “You will require supplies for your classes now that you’re attending public high school in the fall.” He reached over and pulled one more item out of one of the side pockets of the backpack, setting it down in front of you. It was a can of Ebony. “In addition, you will be working with me, performing administrative and clerical tasks while getting accustomed to an office environment. It may be a few years away, but we need to prepare you to take over your family’s company once you graduate from university.”

You threw your arms around him, kissing his cheek before burying your face in his neck. “Thank you so much Iggy… I really don’t know what to say,” you sobbed into his shirt. 

He hugged you, rubbing his hands along your back. “No thanks are required, ma minette. _Je t’adore_ ,” he whispered against your ear.

After everyone else had left, Ignis helped you carry your presents back to your room. He set everything in its proper place—makeup on your vanity ( _I can’t see why you would even use this_ ), backpack and supplies on your desk, and everything else in drawers or your closet. Then he sat down with you on the bed. 

“There is something I didn’t tell you,” he said, avoiding your gaze. “His Highness will be moving out of the palace proper and into his own apartment on the Citadel. As his retainer and advisor, it seems only natural that I would move as well, to live closer to the Prince.”

Your heart thumped wildly in your chest. “We’re moving to our own apartment?” you asked, voice breathless with excitement. 

Ignis shook his head. “No, minette _._ You are no longer a child, and it would be viewed as—irregular—for us to live together. Alone.”

Your heart dropped to your stomach and you stood, glaring down at Ignis. “But you’re my _brother_!” you argued, “You practically raised me! Why would anyone think it’s inappropriate for a brother and sister to share an apartment?” You began to pace in front of him. 

Ignis gave a defeated sigh. “Legally, we may as well be strangers. No one outside of the palace knows of your situation. If someone noticed us living together and began to ask questions, it would become fodder for the gossip magazines.”

You felt the blood rush to your face in equal parts anger and shame. “But aren’t you my guardian? They can’t question that!”

He shook his head again. “My uncle is your guardian. I’m not yet old enough to become a legal guardian,” he said.

“Then legally that makes us cousins or something, right? That’s not abnormal!” you reasoned.

“It does not work that way, I’m afraid. My uncle is your guardian, but he never adopted you. You are his ward, not his daughter. I’m sorry, _ma petite,_ ” Ignis explained. He reached forward to take both your hands in his, looking up at you with pain in his eyes. “You will stay here in the palace. You will go to public school with Noctis and Prompto, as well as taking your extra courses here. You will also work for me, assisting me with various tasks, though after an initial training period you will likely do this on your own. I will attend my courses at the university, then tend to the Prince in the afternoons and early evenings, as well as on weekends.” He gave your hands a squeeze. “It’s likely that we will see each other very little during the week. On weekends you may be permitted to visit His Highness’ apartment with me, and I will of course visit you here when I can. It would be best if you try to make friends at school, though you will be almost as busy as myself.”

You tried not to let the utter sorrow show in your features, schooling your expression the way Ignis had taught you. It didn’t quite work, though. 

“My dear, I am so very sorry it has to be this way,” Ignis said as he stood and pulled you into a tight embrace. “Always remember that I love you, and you mean the world to me, no matter what may come.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Here are the ages during the birthday party:  
> -Reader (14)  
> -Noctis/Prompto (15)  
> -Ignis (17)  
> -Gladio (18)  
> -Iris (10)


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> More Gladio :D :D :D :D

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I had this already written yesterday when I posted the first chapter, I was just hoping to wait to space out the chapters. But since I've gotten such a positive response, I decided to post Chapter 2 now!
> 
> Still working on Chapter 3, so that will be more of a wait.

High school was difficult for you. Not academically, of course, but socially. Your only friends were Noctis and Prompto, and all of the girls hated you for being so close to the Prince. They started vicious rumors that Noctis and Prompto tried to dispel, but the rumors persisted, turning the boys at school against you as well. Your friends were a year older than you, so you didn’t have many classes together. You saw them occasionally, at lunch and in between classes, and sometimes on weekends, but mostly you were alone. Ignis visited you a few times a week, though it was mostly to work on your business training. By the time you started your junior year, Ignis was so busy with the Prince you only saw him once a week. You earned top marks in every class, labeling you a teacher’s pet, a nerd, and a suck-up. You pushed yourself in all of your extracurricular pursuits to distract yourself from school. Though Ignis had reduced your ballet and martial arts lessons to make time for your administrative work, you still practiced as much as you could in your off hours. You also didn’t get much sleep.

You typically practiced in the palace’s dance studio, as it was always open and always empty. One night after an especially tortuous day at school, you practically sprinted to the studio in desperate need of some physical exertion. You threw open the door to the studio and flicked on the lights, only to have your heart sink. To your dismay, the floorboards had all been torn up, mirrors and barres stripped from the walls. _Shit._ You vaguely recalled one of your trainers mentioning the studio would be remodeled over the next few weeks, and that you were to meet her in the cardio room in the palace’s training facility for practice. Hoping it would be open and unoccupied, you headed over to the facility. The lights were on when you entered the main training floor, but the gym seemed empty at such a late hour. You ran over to the cardio room, excited to see that it too was empty. 

It was a large room with polished wood flooring and mirrors lining the walls. Just like the dance studio, only without a barre. You put on your headphones and did some warm-up exercises, enjoying the warmth flowing into your muscles. You were in the middle of a deep stretch, legs split and upper body pressed flat to the floor when you felt footsteps approaching you. You sprang up, obviously startled because you hadn’t heard anyone enter, and were greeted by a familiar, smirking face. You pulled out an earbud to hear him say, “Wow, didn’t realize you were so flexible!”

You stood up, just in time for Gladio to pull you into a tight hug. “It’s good to see you, cupcake!” he exclaimed, easily picking you up off the ground. 

In the two years since you’d met, you and Gladio had become closer. His number had suspiciously shown up in your new phone under “Cup Noodle King,” and he started texting you, seeing how you were doing, if you needed anything, etc. You suspected Ignis had enlisted his help in keeping an eye on you. You would run into each other in the palace, sometimes stopping to chat or getting something to eat in one of the kitchens. He still gave you butterflies in your stomach and made you feel like you were constantly running a fever in his presence, but you enjoyed spending time with him. 

“How have you been? You don’t text me anymore.” He pouted as he set you down, though his hands remained on your shoulders. 

In fact it had been almost exactly five months since you last spoke to Gladio. You had stopped talking to him shortly after your 16th birthday. He’d been unable to attend your party and was texting you about it, apologizing again and asking how it had gone. You were bitter and in a mood, and it was late, so you’d decided to mess with Gladio. You’d told him he’d missed meeting your new boyfriend. 

_No way you’ve got a boyfriend!_ He’d texted back. You were enraged, going into a long rant about how rude and mean it was that he was surprised you could get a boyfriend, that all the guys at school were just intimidated because you were friends with Noctis and _I could get with any guy I wanted, you stupid asshole!_ To which he quickly apologized and explained that he meant there was no way Ignis would let you have a boyfriend, not that you weren’t capable of getting one, and he wished you goodnight. You’d been so mortified at your behavior that you stopped talking to him, no matter how many times he texted asking if you were okay. When you’d see him in the palace you’d ignore him, turning around and running the opposite direction. 

There was nowhere to run this time. Gladio stared down at you, amber eyes wide and pained. “I guess you’re still mad about what I said…” his voice was more serious than you’d ever heard it. “I’m so sorry… I didn’t think about how it would sound. I really didn’t mean it that way. I mean look at you, there’s no way guys aren’t falling all over themselves to get with you. You’re smart, beautiful, talented, funny as hell… I just know Ignis would scare away any potential suitor within a 5 mile radius, he’s so protective of you.” His hand cupped the side of your face, thumb gently stroking your cheek, sending warm tingles down your spine. “I would never, ever, do or say anything to hurt you, and I hate that I did. I really miss you, cupcake. Do you think you can forgive me?”

“I wasn’t mad…” you said softly, “I was embarrassed. About what I said to you.” 

Gladio stared at you, one eyebrow raised. “What do you mean? Why would you be embarrassed?” he asked. 

You sighed, turning your gaze down to the floor. “Because I overreacted and called you an asshole.”

Gladio laughed. As he pulled your chin up to face him again, his thumb accidentally brushed over your bottom lip, causing you to gasp. You stared up at him with wide eyes. “You have nothing to be embarrassed about!” he said, grinning at you. “Do you know how many times I’ve been called an asshole before?” 

You shook your head. 

“A lot!” Gladio replied. “And you had every reason to call me that. I said something really mean and insensitive, even though I didn’t mean it that way. I’d have called me an asshole too.”

He pulled you close to him again, burying your face in his chest. He stroked your hair with one hand and pressed a kiss to the top of your head. “You never have to be embarrassed with me, okay? There’s nothing you could do to make me think badly of you.”

You nodded against his chest, inhaling the scent from Gladio’s tank top. Warm, musky, and woodsy, with a slight hint of fresh sweat. Your pulse picked up and you felt a strong tingle in your core.

“So, what are you doing here? Isn’t it a little late for you to be out of bed?” Gladio quirked an eyebrow, giving you a scrutinizing look.

You explained the situation with your dance studio, adding that you could stay out as late as you damn well pleased. “It’s not like Ignis is around to care.”

“Whoa there, ease up on the attitude,” Gladio responded. “Iggy’s doing the best he can. He’s got a lot on his plate. Besides,” he paused, giving you his signature smirk. “You’ve got _me._ I’m _around to care_ , and if you think I’m not going to look out for you you’ve got another thing coming.”

You flushed at the dominance in his voice, though you still stuck your tongue out at him in defiance. 

“Okay, that’s it, drop and give me 20,” he growled, creating a flood of warmth deep inside you.

You proceeded to do the 20 pushups, much to Gladio’s surprise. He stayed to watch you practice, not saying a word the entire time. It was a ballet practice night. He watched, enthralled, as you moved through your routine, the music from your phone playing over the speakers. After about an hour the stereo went silent, signalling the end of your set, and you let yourself fall to the floor in a graceful split. Gladio came over to sit with you, helping you remove your ballet shoes. Your toes were red and swollen as they always were after you danced, and Gladio pulled them over into his lap, massaging them tenderly. Neither of you spoke, though you let out little gasps and whines when his fingers found a particularly sore spot. His hands moved up to your calves, massaging one and then the other through your leggings. He stopped when he reached your thighs, right above your knees. You let out a breath you hadn’t realized you’d been holding.

Afterwards Gladio walked you back to your room. “Thanks for the free performance,” he said. He gave you a hug and a kiss on the cheek. “Same time tomorrow?” he asked. 

You nodded.

\-----

You went to the training facility every night for the next few weeks, and Gladio was there to meet you every time. On ballet nights he would simply watch you practice, completely silent, then massage your feet and legs afterward. On martial arts nights he would spar with you, then you would do some weight training with him. One night a week you did yoga, so Gladio joined you, following your instructions and laughing at his lack of flexibility. Training became the one thing you looked forward to every day, and you’d be lying to yourself if you said it wasn’t because of Gladio. Spending so much time together had brought you even closer, and your little crush on Gladio had grown significantly. Every time he touched you (the foot massages, sparring, not to mention an endless stream of big bear hugs) it sent electricity through your veins. He made you happy. He was always making jokes, though nothing deprecating like when he was with Iggy and Noct. He never took himself too seriously, something you desperately needed to learn, and being with him was just _fun_. 

After about a month, you learned that the dance studio renovation had stopped. They’d found termites, dry rot, and a whole other host of problems around the studio, which was in the older part of the palace. Plans were made to start construction on a new dance studio in a better location, but that would take several months. So you found yourself staying in the gym’s cardio room for your lessons. And, it would seem, you would continue your nightly practice sessions there too.

“Couldn’t stay away from me, could you?” Gladio teased as you walked into the room. He was in the middle of a set of one-armed pushups, yet he looked as if he was barely exerting himself. He was looking up at you with that irresistible smirk and your cheeks grew hot. 

“I just felt sorry for you, since I knew you’d be here all by yourself,” you replied cheekily.

Gladio pushed up from the ground, switching arms. “I’m never alone when I’ve got my Cup Noodles,” he replied, tilting his head over to the corner of the room. He’d set up a folding stool there, a steaming Cup Noodles with chopsticks sitting on top. “Thought I’d have some dinner with my show tonight,” he added, giving you a wink.

You sighed, setting your stuff down and sitting on the floor next to Gladio so you could begin your stretches. “It’s kind of sad,” you said as you reached for your toes, “You’re here every single night, and now you’re even eating dinner here? You must have no life,” you mocked.

Gladio laughed, getting up so he could sit next to you. “You’ve got no idea what I get up to after you leave. I’m out way past your bedtime, cupcake,” he replied smugly. 

It was true—you _didn’t_ know what Gladio did after you left the gym at night. You usually crawled straight into bed after Gladio walked you to your quarters. You knew Gladio spent his days training with the Crownsguard. Though he was only two years out of high school, he held the rank of officer, outranking and outperforming others even 15 years older than himself. He’d been raised as a fighter, beginning training as soon as he could walk. And it was no surprise, really. The heirs of the Amicitia family had been charged with protecting the kings of Lucis for generations. Gladio’s fate had been decided for him before he was even conceived. Still, even if he hadn’t been born into it, it was hard to imagine Gladio doing anything else. Every inch of his huge frame was _made_ for fighting and defending—he had simply taken what he was naturally given and sculpted it into perfection. Perfection you couldn’t help but notice and think about when you were alone in bed, or in the shower, or drifting off during classes. 

You felt a sudden pang of jealousy in your chest, thinking about what he might be doing—and who he might be doing it _with_ —during his free time. He trained Noctis a few times a week after his Crownsguard duties, but there were still plenty of opportunities for him to spend time with friends or other “acquaintances.” You didn’t want to think about the kinds of _social interactions_ he would be having having late at night after your practices. The mix of jealousy and shame left an acrid taste in your mouth. 

“Oh yeah?” you replied, trying to sound casual. “How do you know I don’t sneak out after you leave?” 

Gladio laughed. “I am the _king_ of sneaking out. I know all the tricks and secrets. And I know for a _fact_ that you haven’t even so much as snuck a toe out of your quarters.” He grinned. “Besides, you’d need a car to go anywhere outside the Citadel,” he added.

“I have a car,” you replied matter-of-factly, “Noctis got me one for my birthday.”

Gladio’s jaw dropped. It was true, the Prince had given you a very nice, very expensive car for your 16th birthday, much to Ignis’ chagrin. You’d tried to refuse such an extravagant gift, but Noct just snuck the keys in your back pocket while giving you a big hug. “I’m the Crown Prince of Lucis, you can’t say no to me,” he’d joked, blushing fiercely as he pulled away. 

“So why aren’t you out there driving it?” Gladio asked, interrupting your thoughts. 

“I haven’t driven it yet…” you said quietly. “Iggy said he’d teach me when he has time, after the semester’s over.” 

“You’ve had a car for _six months_ and you haven’t even driven it?” Gladio asked, stupefied. 

“I could drive if you come with me…” you said suggestively. 

Gladio raised an eyebrow, as if considering your proposition. “Nope. Not gonna happen. I know Iggy, and he would never agree to that. I’m not dumb enough to risk his wrath.”

“Iggy doesn’t have to know!” you argued. “I have my learner’s permit, so I can drive with anyone who’s had their license for two years.”

“Don’t care about a permit. Hell, I never had one and I was driving when I was 12,” he replied. “But I respect Ignis, he’s my friend, and he’s your brother in all the ways that matter, so I can’t go behind his back.”

You pouted, stomping your foot down and crossing your arms. “That’s not fair!” you whined.

Gladio grinned. “Life isn’t fair, babygirl.”

You went wide-eyed, your face freezing as you stared at him. _What had he just called you?_ You chose to say nothing, though you knew your cheeks were redder than a Lucian tomato. Gladio seemed unaware of what he’d said and its effect on you. 

You went ahead with your practice, heart fluttering from nerves the whole time. You kept stealing glances at Gladio, messing up your footing and losing your balance as you watched him watching you. He noticed each time you faltered, his eyes shutting for a moment as he pressed his lips between his teeth. After about 20 minutes of sloppy dancing you did a leap and screwed up the landing, falling hard on your side. Gladio was next to you in an instant, carefully helping you sit up and checking your body for injuries. 

“Are you hurt?” he asked, eyes wide with worry. 

You shook your head. “I’m sorry, I’m fine,” you replied, wholly mortified.

“Are you sure you’re okay? I’ve never seen you like this. What happened?” Gladio asked, wrapping an arm around you and pulling you into his lap. 

“I guess I’m just tired,” you replied. 

Gladio ran his hand down the side of your face where you’d landed on it, gently checking for any pain.

“If you’re that tired, you shouldn’t be coming here every night,” he scolded. 

“No! I’m getting enough sleep, I promise, I just…” you started, not sure how to explain without embarrassing yourself. 

“You just what?” Gladio asked, his hand moving lower to rub your shoulder and down your arm.

“I have these nightmares,” you said quickly. Gladio resumed his examination, palpating along your ribs down to your waist. You tried to hide your little sigh of pleasure at his touch. “I’ve had them since I was little. About my parents. About the attack.” You hadn’t planned on talking about this with Gladio, or with anyone for that matter. You’d just said you were tired as an excuse, but now you realized maybe it was more than that.

Gladio pulled you close so your head was resting against his shoulder. He whispered your name softly, lips against your hair. “I’m sorry. Do you wanna talk about it?”

You shook your head. “No, it’s fine, I’ll be fine,” you said.

“How about we call it a night?” he asked. 

You nodded. He helped you up, then picked up your bag and wrapped his arm around you as he walked you back to your place. Gladio usually dropped you off outside the door, but this time he walked you inside. When Ignis had moved to the Citadel you’d been given what amounted to a studio apartment in the palace. There were two large rooms—one was the kitchen/dining area, beyond that was your bedroom/living area, and beyond that a modest bathroom. Gladio walked you to your room, setting your bag down and turning you around to face him.

“You sure you’re okay?” he asked, looking you over. 

He waited for you to nod again, then went over and sat down on your couch. “Hurry up and get ready for bed,” he called over to you.

You grabbed some PJs (your cutest ones) and went into the bathroom to clean up and change. When you came back out, Gladio was watching the news on TV. He flicked the remote to turn it off and came over to you. He pulled aside the curtain that separated your bed from the rest of the room. 

“Get in,” he said as he pulled back the covers. _Thank the Six you’d made your bed and tidied up this morning_. 

You did as instructed, giving Gladio a confused stare. “Are you tucking me in?” you asked, a bit incredulous. 

“So what if I am?” he replied, pulling the covers up over your body. He grabbed your Moogle doll from the other side of the bed. “Is this the one Iris gave you?” 

You flushed. “Yeah…” you replied sheepishly, “But I don’t sleep with him! I mean he usually just sits over there.” _That was a lie._

Gladio laughed. “It’s okay, especially if it makes you feel better. Iris would be happy to know he’s well-loved,” he said, running his fingers along the frying edge of the doll’s wings. “She could probably fix him up for you, you know.” He tucked the doll in under the covers with you. 

You took the doll into your arms and snuggled up with it. “That would be nice,” you said. 

“Are you all good?” he asked, actually tucking the covers under your body.

“Yeah. Thank you,” you replied.

“Any time,” Gladio said. “I’m gonna sleep over on the couch, and I don’t want to hear any argument from you, got it?” 

“Okay…” you said. 

He reached over to turn off your bedside light, then leaned down to kiss your forehead. “Good night, babygirl,” he said softly.

“Good night…” you whispered back. 

The rest of the lights in the room went off and you heard the couch creak as Gladio tried to squeeze his giant body onto it. You fell asleep almost instantly—turns out you _had_ been overly tired. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you so much for your comments and kudos! <3


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter is a bit shorter since I really wanted to post something for you guys ASAP. The next one should be longer!

_You were on the same road where you’d been attacked when you heard the daemon growl. The car stopped and you realized it wasn’t your parents in the front seat. Gladio turned around from the driver’s seat, telling you to get down and stay hidden. He was going to go fight the monster. You tried to stop him but it was too late, he was already out of the car and there was nothing you could do but watch in horror as he approached the Iron Giant. You forgot to hide and the daemon spotted you, turning from Gladio and swinging its sword straight at you. Gladio jumped in the way to block the giant’s attack and was hit full-force with the giant’s sword. He landed on the hood of the car, his body mangled and bloody. The daemon picked him up and threw him aside before tearing off the roof of the car and reaching for you. You screamed as it wrapped its fingers around your body._

You woke up to Gladio gently shaking you and calling your name. You were breathing hard and your eyes were full of tears, your skin covered in a cold sweat. 

“Bad dream?” Gladio asked, and you nodded. He climbed into your bed next to you, lifting you up so you half-sat, half-laid in his lap, resting on your side against his broad chest and stomach. You ran your fingers along the pendant on Gladio’s necklace, lifting it up and holding it in your hand. Its weight felt comforting and you squeezed it, the metal edges biting gently into your skin. You thought about the dream you’d just had, the same one you’d been having over and over recently. 

“They’ve gotten worse lately,” you said softly. “Instead of my parents being attacked, now I see… people I care about being killed by the daemon, before I get attacked too.” Your voice wavered but didn’t break, though tears now spilled down your cheeks.

“Aww, it’s okay cupcake.” Gladio wiped your tears away with his thumb. “Nothing bad’s going to happen to Iggy or Noct; they can take care of themselves, and they’ve got me to protect them just in case. And I’ll always protect you, no matter what, so you don’t have to worry about things like that.”

“I didn’t dream about Iggy or Noct!” you blurted out, “I dreamt about you! You were going to take on an Iron Giant all by yourself but I got in the way, so you died to save me!” Your voice definitely broke and you started sobbing, burying your face against the crook of Gladio’s neck. 

“Shit… Please don’t cry, babygirl,” Gladio whispered as he gently rocked you in his arms. “Shhh… I’m so sorry you had a dream like that. I’m right here, okay? I’m not leaving you.” He rubbed soothing circles into your back with one hand; the other rested on the back of your head, stroking his fingers along your scalp and through your hair. 

You couldn’t stop thinking about the way his body had looked in the dream. More sobs tore from your throat.

“Hey, it’s okay. It was just a dream, it’s not real. I’m fine. I’m not going anywhere,” he consoled. 

You stayed in his arms as he rocked you and whispered soothing words in your ear until you stopped crying and your breathing slowed.

“Okay now?” Gladio asked. 

You nodded, reluctantly pulling away from him. 

You were still sniffling, but otherwise fine. “Yeah, I’m okay Gladdy. I’m sorry for getting so emotional,” you replied, eyes downcast. 

Gladio tilted your chin up to face him. “Will you stop worrying about that kind of stuff? Please? You’re not gonna make me think any less of you, alright?” 

You nodded.

“Okay, let’s go back to sleep,” he said. “Do you want me to stay with you?”

In response you pulled the covers up over the both of you, curling your body around Gladio with your head resting on his chest. He chuckled, sinking down so his head was against your pillows and wrapping his arms around you. You fell asleep quickly to the steady beat of his heart under your ear—a blissful, dreamless sleep.

\-----

You woke to the smell of pancakes cooking. “Iggy?” you called out drowsily, eyes not yet open. You couldn’t remember the last time Ignis had come over to make you breakfast.

For a moment there was no response. Then you felt someone standing next to your bed, their shadow darkening the back of your eyelids. You opened your eyes to see Gladio leaning over you, a plate of pancakes in one hand and spatula in the other. 

“Good morning, sleeping beauty,” he said playfully. “Sorry, no Iggy, it’s just me. If you’re ready to join the world of the living, I have some breakfast for you.” He walked back out into the other room.

You rubbed your eyes and sat up in your bed, everything coming back to you at once—you falling during practice, the nightmare, Gladio _sleeping in your bed with you_. You flushed at the thought and jumped out of bed, then ran to the bathroom to freshen up. He’d already seen your bedhead and sleep-crusted eyes, but you still couldn’t face him like this. Once you’d made yourself less of a disaster, you walked out to join Gladio for breakfast. Your jaw dropped when you saw the spread on your tiny dining table. Not only had Gladio made pancakes (two types: sprinkles and blueberry), he’d also squeezed fresh orange juice, fried some eggs, and chopped up some fresh fruit. You sat down across from him and he grinned at the look on your face.

“Don’t be so surprised,” he said. “Did you think all I ever ate was Cup Noodles?”

He pushed the plate of sprinkles pancakes over to you. “Cake mix and sprinkles pancakes for my cupcake.” He smirked. “Can’t forget the frosting,” he added as he handed you a small bowl full of your favorite frosting.

“I didn’t even have all of this stuff in my kitchen,” you said, picking up a fork and spreading some frosting on your pancakes.

“Iris came by to pick up your Moogle doll and I asked her to bring some stuff,” Gladio explained, pouring syrup over his blueberry pancakes. 

You took a bite of the pancakes. “Mmmm! Oh my gods,” you exclaimed, “These are amazing, Gladdy!”

He flashed you a smug grin. “I know.”

You put your fork down and gave him a concerned stare. “What did Iris say about you being here? What did you tell her?” 

Gladio continued munching on his breakfast. “I told her the truth,” he said, as if the answer was obvious. “She said it was nice of me to take care of you, and she was a little upset you didn’t take your Moogle to her for repairs sooner.”

You immediately regretted your earlier concern. Of course Iris wouldn’t find anything strange about Gladio spending the night with you—she was only 12 and she knew you and her brother were friends. Besides, Gladio was only there for you as _a friend_ —you were the one making things complicated with your feelings.You finished your breakfast, thanking Gladio for the meal and cleaning everything up. When you turned back to Gladio he was leaning against the doorframe, arms crossed in front of him. 

“Get dressed,” he said casually, “We’re going out.”

You gave him a look. “ _Where_ are we going? I have studying and paperwork to do, and I’m sure you have...whatever...to do today,” you replied.

He laughed, deep and rich like Ebony. “It’s _Saturday_. You can’t take a day off?” he asked, a little incredulous. “I cleared my schedule for you. The least you could do is spend the day with me.” He pouted.

You tried to give an annoyed sigh but you couldn’t hide your amusement at his puppy-dog eyes and puffed up bottom lip. “Fine. But seriously Gladdy, where are we going?” you asked.

Gladio moved away from the doorframe and walked over to you, uncrossing his arms. He opened his hand and held out a car key— _your_ car key—dangling it in front of you. “Wherever you wanna go, babygirl,” he said with a grin, obviously pleased with himself. 

“Where did you get that?” you asked, eyes wide with shock. 

“Nuh uh,” he replied, pulling they key back into his closed hand. “No questions. I’m teaching you to drive and you’re going to do everything I say.”

“I thought you didn’t want to go behind Iggy’s back!” you argued. 

“That’s why I asked Iggy,” Gladio assured you. “I convinced him that you needed to have as much driving experience as possible, and he agreed.”

You narrowed your eyes at him, slow to believe him after his statement the night before.

\-----

Gladio drove you out to the desert just beyond the city. He pulled over in an old, abandoned parking lot and let you take the wheel. You hadn’t spent much time in the front seat of a car—typically if you needed to go somewhere, one of the palace drivers or Iggy would take you, so you’d sit in the back. That said, you hadn’t had many good chances to _watch_ someone drive before, so you required a lot of guidance. Gladio was the most patient teacher; first, he showed you all the controls and how everything worked. He made sure you knew every little thing before even letting you start the car. When it finally came time for you to actually _drive_ , you were really nervous, so much so that you would barely put any pressure on the gas pedal. 

Gladio didn’t get frustrated or annoyed. He simply climbed out of the car, opened the driver’s side door, picked you up, and sat down in the driver’s seat with you in his lap. He adjusted the seat so that he could actually drive, then drove slowly around the parking lot with your hands on top of his on the steering wheel and your legs draped over his own. He clearly explained what he was doing, then sped up his actions to a normal driving speed. After a while he let go of the steering wheel, letting you steer, and he moved the seat up so that you could reach the pedals. He held you tight to his chest as you drove, telling you how great you were doing and how proud he was of you. “See, you’re a natural babygirl.”

Eventually he got out of the car and set up a series of safety cones ( _how did he get them in the trunk without you knowing?_ ). He got back in the passenger seat and had you navigate through the cones. Once you’d mastered one configuration, he’d switch them around, then repeat the process. After a few practice courses, Gladio took you over to a little hill with a good view of Insomnia in the distance. He’d somehow managed to pack a picnic basket and a blanket in your trunk as well, so you sat on the hill and shared a nice lunch together. 

“Did you really convince Iggy to let me drive with you?” you asked him. 

He laughed, almost choking on his sandwich. “Why, do you think I would like to you?” he asked, feigning offense.

“I don’t think you’d lie, I just didn’t think he’d actually agree to it. _You_ even seemed to think he wouldn’t agree to it until this morning,” you replied, narrowing your eyes suspiciously. 

“I’m just gonna say that I have my ways and leave it at that,” Gladio replied. 

You let out a huff but remained silent, not bringing the topic up again. 

After lunch and a few more practice drills, Gladio drove you home. On the way, he stopped by his family’s house in the city. He sent a quick text on his phone and a minute later Iris came running out, your Moogle doll in her arms. 

“Hiiiiiii!” Iris called as you stepped out of the car. She practically threw herself at you in a hug, the Moogle getting caught in the middle. She hugged you tight and the doll got squeezed between you two. Oddly, the doll started to make noise. You pulled away, picking the Moogle up and holding it closer to your ear. 

“Hey babygirl. Everything’s going to be okay. Take a deep breath, and relax. Call me if you need anything, okay? It doesn’t matter what time it is, just say the word and I’ll be there. Love, Gladdy.” Gladio’s voice sounded from inside your Moogle doll. 

Iris grinned at you, practically jumping up and down from excitement. You turned to Gladio, who was leaning against the car next to you. He had his arms crossed in front of his chest, eyes staring impassively ahead. You thought you saw his cheeks flush the lightest pink, though it could have just been a shadow. “Gladdy I...thank you, so much,” you said softly, wrapping your arms around his large frame. He held you tight, your face pressed against his chest. 

“I just thought… This way I can be there for you whenever you have a nightmare,” Gladio said.

“Gladdy asked me to put the voicebox in when I was fixing your doll up,” Iris explained. “Pretty thoughtful, right?” 

You looked up at Gladio’s face, your heart full of affection and warmth. A pure smile graced your lips. “Yes, he is,” you agreed, staring into those warm chestnut eyes, “He’s just a big softy.”

Gladio returned your gaze for a moment before quickly looking away. “Alright, well, we gotta get going,” he said as he walked over to Iris. “Thanks for the quick work, Iris.” He gave her a small hug before walking back around to the driver’s side of the car. 

“Bye Gladdy!” Iris called after him. Again she threw herself at you, squeezing you unbelievably tight for someone so small. “It was so good to see you! We’ve gotta hang out soon, k?” she said, and you nodded. “And take care of Gladdy for me,” she whispered.

On the drive back to the palace you didn’t really speak. A few times, you squeezed your Moogle doll just to hear Gladio’s message again. Each time he stared straight ahead, roughly clearing his throat and pressing his lips into a thin line. After the fourth time he turned to you, a small smile on his face. “You really like that, huh?” he asked.

You flushed bright red and nodded. “It makes me happy,” you replied.

“Oh,” he said, caught off guard. “Well. I’m really glad. I love seeing you happy.”

Gladio brought you home, giving you a big hug and a kiss on your head goodnight.

“Sleep well, babygirl.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Can I please have Gladio sleep in my bed with me? Please?
> 
> Also thank you for all the comments and kudos, you guys have made me feel really loved! <3


	4. Chapter 4

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Idk what is this chapter even? Haha.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Wow, thank you guys sooooo much for all the support on this piece! I never imagined it would get so much love, and I squeal and turn into a tomato at all your sweet comments! You guys are the best, and I'm so happy that so many of you are enjoying this story with me! 
> 
> ♥ ♥

Your next several Saturdays were spent driving around Lucis with Gladio. Combined with your nightly practice sessions, you were seeing a lot of each other, and to you that was _bliss._ You’d been having fewer nightmares too, and the ones you did have were quickly flushed from your mind after a snuggle with Gladio’s Moogle doll. Ignis seemed to notice how much happier you had been as of late.

“I take it your driving lessons with Gladio have been going well,” Ignis commented over dinner one night. 

You gulped, a slight tint coming to your cheeks. “Oh, uh, yeah,” you replied, unsure what Iggy was getting at.

He smiled. “That’s excellent. I’m glad he convinced me that driving would be good for you.” 

“Good for me?” you questioned.

“I admit I was a bit skeptical about the idea. When he said learning to drive would help with your nightmares, I thought he was a bit touched,” Ignis continued, slicing his steak into small pieces. 

You gaped at him.

“But when Gladio explained that your nightmares about the incident all centered around you having no control of the situation, his idea began to make sense. If you were able to take control by being the driver, rather than the passenger in the backseat, the nightmares wouldn’t have as much of an effect on you.” Ignis took a bite of his meal.

“Gladio told you that?” you asked.

Ignis nodded. “Your nightmares have improved recently, haven’t they?” he questioned.

“Well…yes. But…” you considered mentioning the Moogle doll, but that would require more explanation than you were willing to give. “I didn’t think it was because of the _driving._ ” 

Ignis looked up from his plate, adjusting his glasses on his nose. “My dear, Gladio may seem like he’s all muscle and crassness, but he has an amazing knack for reading people and being empathetic to their needs,” he said. 

You just stared. 

“The logic behind it is relatively simple,” Ignis continued, “But quite brilliant. It’s based on something called exposure therapy. By exposing yourself to small amounts of something you’re afraid of, you become less and less afraid. With more exposure, you eventually overcome your fear. That is the theory, anyway,” Ignis said. 

“But I’m not afraid of driving,” you replied.

“Your nightmares center around the night your parents died, yes?” Ignis asked gently. 

You nodded. 

“So we can take it that you are afraid of being attacked while in a vehicle, or something similar?” he asked, and again you nodded. “So if you learn how to drive, rather than passively riding in the car as you do in your nightmares, you may feel more control over the situation in your nightmares and they will simply become regular dreams.”

You swallowed. “And _Gladio_ said all this to you?” you asked. 

Ignis sighed. “Not in the way I’ve explained it, no. But I understood the gist of his idea, which is why I let him take you out driving.”

You got up from the table, picking up your plate and bringing it over to the sink. Ignis followed suit, then opened the refrigerator to pull out the dessert he’d brought.

“Another one Noctis didn’t like?” you asked, noticing the familiar shape of the tarts. 

Ignis gave you a wry smile. “Quite. His Highness was most displeased with this one. I figured you wouldn’t mind, minette,” he said. 

You smiled, taking the plate he offered you and placing a bite in your mouth. “Mmmmm Iggy! This one is really good! What did he say was wrong with it?” you asked, incredulous. 

Ignis rolled his eyes. “Too much cream,” he said flatly. 

You finished your dessert, even licking the plate when you were done. “You know, if he wants that dessert so bad, why doesn’t he just ask Luna what it was?”

“So _badly_ ,” Ignis corrected you, then stopped with his fork almost to his mouth, eyes going wide. “I...well. I hadn’t thought of that.”

You laughed, watching as Ignis finished the dessert in stunned silence. “You seriously never thought to ask the one person who was likely to know?” you asked, voice teasing. “I’d expect that from Noct, but not you.”

“Your cleverness puts me to shame, as always,” Ignis replied. 

“It’s okay, Iggy. I still love you.” You placed a kiss to his cheek and reached over to grab the empty plate from his hand. 

Once you’d set both plates in the sink Ignis came over to pull you into a tight hug, resting his cheek against the top of your head. “I love you too, minette,” he replied. “I am sorry that I haven’t been around as much for you lately. I am glad, at least, that you have grown closer to Gladio, and that he can watch over you in my absence.”

Your cheeks grew warm at the thought of all the time you’d been spending with Gladio—time that, as far as you knew, Ignis wasn’t quite aware of. “Yes, he’s a good friend,” you replied. 

“There is no one I would trust more with my life, or yours,” Ignis said. He pressed a kiss to your hair. “You are so precious to me. I wish only the best for you, love.” When he pulled away Ignis turned, discreetly dabbing at the corners of his eyes. 

The two of you did the dishes in peaceful silence, then Ignis wished you goodnight with a hug and a kiss to your cheek. 

The next morning, Gladio picked you up for your final driving lesson. He was his usual jovial self, joking about how you could be his designated driver once you passed your driving test. You rolled your eyes but kept silent, remembering what Ignis had said about Gladio’s plan to cure your nightmares through driving. Maybe it was just an elaborate excuse he used to convince Iggy to let him teach you. That seemed more likely than him actually believing he could fix your fear, right? You decided to observe him and try to figure it out during your drive.

Gladio wanted to see how you did driving long distances, so he let you drive the entire way to Alstor Slough before stopping by the lake to eat. Gladio laughed at the face you made when you first saw the catoblepas wading in the middle of the lake. He assured you that the beasts would leave you alone as long as you didn’t get too close, but you kept a close eye on them all throughout lunch, just in case they happened to like the smell of turkey sandwiches. Once you’d finished eating you began packing up your picnic supplies, eager to get out of range of those prehistoric monsters. 

“Hey, what’s the rush babygirl?” Gladio asked, taking the picnic blanket from your hands. “Why don’t we stay for a little bit? The weather’s so nice, and I promise those catoblepas aren’t gonna come after us. Even if they do, do you know how hard it is to move a body that size? We’ll be long gone before they can reach us.”

He laid out the blanket again, lying down on his back with his hands behind his head. “Come on, join me,” he pleaded. 

You gave a huff and sat down cross-legged next to him. “Happy?” you asked, trying to sound more annoyed than you were.

“Not quite,” he replied. He sat up briefly, wrapping his arms around you and pulling you back down onto the blanket with him. He had his arm underneath your head, wrapping around to your shoulder and holding you close to the side of his chest. “That’s better,” he said smugly. You could hear the steady thrum of his heart through his leather jacket, the warmth of his body sending tingles through your skin. You were so focused on the proximity of his body to yours, the scent of him filling your lungs and making you dizzy, that you didn’t hear what he said next. Did he know the effect he had on you?

“Huh?” you asked, trying not to blush and failing. 

Gladio pointed up at a fluffy white cloud floating above you. “Doesn’t that one look like a Moogle face?” he asked. You could kind of see the resemblance. 

“Yeah, I guess,” you replied. 

“How about that one?” Gladio pointed to a spiky looking one. “Looks like Iggy’s hair, right?”

You let out a small chuckle despite yourself. You pointed to a rather lumpy looking cloud with no definite shape. “That one looks like your tattoo when you flex,” you joked, knowing there was almost no resemblance. 

Gladio laughed. “Well that one looks like your face when you try to land a punch,” he said, pointing at a round-ish looking cloud. 

“That one looks like your ass after too many of Iggy’s desserts!” you giggled, pointing to a particularly large, round one. 

“So you DO check out my ass!” Gladio teased, turning onto his side and using both hands to tickle your ribs. 

“Ahhh!” you squealed, trying to wriggle out of his grip. His hands were too big and strong, holding you tight as he continued his tickle assault. “No—I—don’t!” you argued in between fits of giggles. 

“C’mon cupcake, just admit it and I’ll stop,” Gladio replied. “It’s okay, I know you stare. It’s hard to tear your eyes away from this godly physique,” he said smugly. 

“Never! I—don’t—look—at—your—body!” you insisted. Your lungs were growing weak from the constant laughter. 

“Tsk tsk babygirl, didn’t anyone tell you lying’s a sin?” Gladio said, voice low. “I can feel your eyes burning holes through my clothes when you watch me work out.” His breath fanned out against your ear. 

It was all too much for you to take. “Okay!” you yelled. “Okay, okay, fine! Yes, I check you out, okay?” you admitted, defeat in your voice. “I’m pretty sure every female within a 1-mile radius is constantly staring at you, and a good number of the males, too,” you said in your defense. Your cheeks were on fire with shame. “Can you please just leave me alone now?” you yelled.

Gladio released you immediately, moving one of his hands up to your shoulder. “Hey...I’m sorry…” he started, but you slapped his hand away and jumped up from the blanket. You walked closer to the water, watching the sun sink towards the horizon. The catoblepas were resting their heads against the water like it was a pillow. Great, when you actually _wanted_ them to attack you and end your misery, they were asleep on the job. 

“Cupcake!” Gladio called as he got up to run after you, “Come on babygirl, you know I was just kidding. I’m sorry, I took it too far.”

You walked as close to the edge of the lake as you could, the water lapping at your toes. Gladio came to stand next to you, and your turned your back to him. You could hear his defeated sigh as he sat down at the shore. He began picking up rocks and skipping them across the water. A few of them skipped dangerously close to one of the catoblepas, though the creature seemed lost to the world of dreams. At one point it made a loud snort and you jumped, finally turning towards Gladio. You grabbed his hand just as he was about to throw another rock and he startled, staring up at you as if you’d just snapped him out of a dream. 

“You’re going to wake that thing up!” you hissed, pointing at the catoblepas who was thankfully still sleeping. 

“Oh. Sorry,” Gladio replied flatly.

“We should go. I don’t want to be on the road when it gets dark,” you said. 

Gladio hopped up, dropping the rock that was in his hand. Silently you both started packing up the picnic supplies and loaded them into the car. You climbed into the driver’s seat, not looking at Gladio as he got into the passenger’s side. You drove well above the speed limit, avoiding Gladio’s concerned gaze. You could hear him sighing, trying to work out what he was going to say, so you turned on the radio, effectively silencing him. As you drove, you watched the sun begin to dip behind the mountains, your stomach slowly sinking along with it. You were about 30 miles away from Insomnia when the sky turned the faintest of purples, the last rays of the sun mere wisps along the horizon. You thought you heard a growl in the distance and slammed on the brakes, making the car skid and almost spin out of control. Blood thundered in your ears and you stopped breathing. You couldn’t hear whatever Gladio was trying to tell you, and instead just stared at the road ahead of you, body frozen in fear and lungs burning from lack of oxygen. 

It wasn’t until Gladio moved to the driver’s side of the car, opening the door and unbuckling your seatbelt, that you were able to focus on what was happening. Your lungs filled with air as you took a deep breath, and you felt the warm comfort of Gladio’s body as he picked you up into his arms. 

“Hey, it’s okay, we’re okay. It’s not dark yet babygirl, we can make it home. Just let me drive, okay?” Gladio whispered soothingly as he held you close. He got into the driver’s seat, holding you on his lap as he started to get the car back onto the road. 

“No!” you screamed, tears suddenly blinding your eyes. “We won’t make it in time! We have to find somewhere safe, we can’t be on the road when it gets completely dark!” You were fully crying, huge choking sobs wracking your body. Gladio stopped the car, wrapping both arms around you and pressing your face to his chest. 

“Shhhh, don’t cry, it’ll be fine. I installed those extra bright headlights, remember? They’ll keep all the daemons away,” he reassured you. 

You pulled away from his chest to look at him. “Are you sure?” you sniffled. 

“Of course I am. I promise, I won’t let anything get to us. You trust me, right?” he asked.

You nodded, curling yourself against him so your legs stretched across to the passenger seat. 

“That’s my sweet girl,” Gladio said softly, pressing a kiss to your forehead. “I’m gonna get us home in no time, okay babygirl?”

He turned on the bright headlights, illuminating the entire road and several yards to each side of it. He started to drive, faster than he normally would have, but still with a good amount of control. You closed your eyes, letting the sound of the road and Gladio’s breathing calm you. You didn’t realize you had fallen asleep until Gladio was carrying you out of the car and into the elevator to the royal apartments. You were still drifting in and out of consciousness when he laid you down in your bed, and you thought you heard him say, “I told you we’d make it. I’ll never let anything happen to you, princess. No more nightmares, okay?”

\-----

It had been a few weeks since your last driving lesson, and neither you nor Gladio had spoken of it since. Ignis kept bugging you about making an appointment for your driving test, but you just shrugged it off, trying your best not to raise his suspicions.

“I heard your guys’ prom is coming up,” Gladio said as he completed a set of pull-ups. He lifted you up for your set, standing underneath you in case you needed to lean on him. You were getting better, but you still couldn’t do very many reps with your full body weight. 

“Oh, yeah, I guess,” you answered. It wasn’t something you’d been paying any attention to, though now that you were a junior you were allowed to attend the prom if you wanted. 

“You gonna go?” Gladio asked.

You laughed, almost losing your grip on the bar. “No thank you,” you answered. “I don’t have anyone I’d want to go with, and I’d much rather do my dancing here.”

“Oh,” he said. “Well I might be there. Noct said there’s a girl he’s gonna ask to be his date, and since I’m his Shield I’d go as part bodyguard, part chaperone.”

This time your laughter did make you lose your grip on the bar. You fell right into Gladio’s arms. “You? At prom?” 

He frowned down at you as he set you on the ground. “Why can’t I go to prom?” he asked, doing his best to look hurt. 

“I’m pretty sure all the girls will ditch their dates to try and dance with you, and all the guys will just up and leave because they know they’re no match for you,” you answered, giving him a playful punch in the arm. 

It was Gladio’s turn to laugh. “You’ve got quite the imagination there,” he said, climbing back up on the bar to do hanging sit-ups. “As amazingly attractive as I am, I’m pretty sure the girls at your school are gonna go nuts over seeing their handsome Prince dancing in a tuxedo.” He paused, completing a couple of sit-ups. “I feel bad for whoever his date is, though,” he added. “Everyone’s going to be so jealous, they’ll hate her guts.”

You cringed a little, all too familiar with that experience. Your stomach clenched with empathy for whomever Noct was going to take to prom. 

“He didn’t tell you who he was going to ask?” you questioned, suddenly curious. You never saw Noct really talk to anyone besides you or Prompto, and you wondered if it was someone you knew.

Gladio shook his head. “Nah. You know Noct. Always super shy about that kind of thing. Besides, he probably thinks I would say something to her to embarrass him before he even gets the chance to ask.” He jumped down from the bar again. “Which I totally would.”

“You’re terrible!” you said, though you couldn’t help but giggle. You handed Gladio a towel and a bottle of water.

“Anyway he said he’s going to ask her this week,” he continued after taking a sip of water. “So I guess I’ll find out pretty soon if I’m going or not.” He wiped the sweat off his face with the towel, then threw it back at you. You dodged it, letting it fall to the floor. “You should come,” he said quietly. “You can keep me company.”

You chuckled. “I’ll think about it.”

Shortly after you got home from practice that night, there was a knock on your door. You were already in your pajamas, but you figured it was just Gladio coming back for something. You opened the door without looking through the peephole and almost screamed in surprise. Standing outside your door was Noctis, holding a bouquet of red roses and blushing deeper than the flowers. He stared at you with those bottomless blue eyes, biting his lip nervously. He took a deep breath, holding the flowers out to you. 

“Um...hi.” He stammered out your name. “Will you go to prom with me?”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hop aboard the angst train!


	5. Chapter 5

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Loooooong because yeah
> 
> I didn't realize this would turn into a high school AU :-/

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Just a note: I noticed some of you refer to the reader as "Minette" which is super super cute, I just wanted to clarify that Reader does NOT have a canon name. "Minette" or "Ma minette" is Ignis' pet name for the Reader, it means pussycat in French and is a term of endearment. Though you are OF COURSE welcome to keep calling Reader Minette, I just wanted to make sure this was clear :) (which it seems like it already is so disregard this, it is really really cute that you call her Minette I really love it)  
> Thank you guys so much for the support, kudos, and comments! This story is way more popular than I ever thought it would be and it makes me really happy that so many of you enjoy it!

“What?” you asked, too stunned to say anything else. 

Noctis got even more flustered, almost turning away before you stopped him. “I’m sorry, I guess I’m just a little confused,” you explained. 

Noctis again handed the flowers to you and you took them, a slight blush creeping up on your cheeks. “Well, prom is coming up and I thought...you might like to go with me? Prompto already has a date and I don’t really know anyone else at school. There isn’t anyone I’d wanna go with except you,” Noctis said shyly.

It suddenly made sense. Other than Prompto, you were Noct’s only friend at school. Noctis was painfully shy, especially for a future king, so it was no wonder he was asking you to prom. Your cheeks stretched with a grin. “Oh! Of course I’ll go with you, Noct. It’ll be fun to hang out with you and Prompto,” you replied. You stepped forward, pulling Noctis into a big hug. “There isn’t anyone I’d wanna go with besides you either!”

You pulled away and Noctis had a huge smile on his face. “Um, great!” he said, running a hand through his hair. “So I um...I’ll pick you up here? Or...meet you...somewhere?”

“Sure, just meet me here,” you replied. 

“Oh, okay. Well um, goodnight then,” Noct said.

You leaned in to to give him a kiss on the cheek, failing to see the way he almost fell apart from embarrassment. “Goodnight Noct,” you said softly.

The next day at the gym, Gladio greeted you with a slightly bigger smirk than usual on his face. “I heard Noct’s going to the prom!” he said, “So that means I’m going too! What do ya say babygirl, are you gonna go and keep me company?”

You laughed as you set down your bag, spreading your yoga mat across the floor next to Gladio’s. “You’re kidding, right? You already know I’m going with Noct,” you said. 

Gladio’s face faltered for a moment. “You’re the one he asked to prom?” he asked, slightly incredulous. “But he said…” Gladio’s voice trailed off as he stared into space. 

“Hmmm?” you asked as you sat down to stretch. “He said what?”

“Oh, nothing,” Gladio replied, “I just thought he would have told me he was going with you. Must’ve wanted it to be a surprise.” He sat down next to you on his mat. “Well, I guess you’ll get to keep me company for a little bit, right?”

You smiled as you both settled into the first pose of your routine. “Yeah, I doubt Noctis is going to be doing a lot of dancing. He and Prompto will probably just play King’s Knight the whole time.”

Gladio gave a small chuckle, though it seemed a bit forced. “Yeah, you’re probably right.”

Throughout the evening you tried to talk to Gladio about other things, but he kept bringing the subject back to the prom. _What’s the theme of the dance? What are you going to wear? Will you get your hair done? Are you going out to dinner first? Are you going to take a limo? Do you think you’ll dance the whole time?_ You didn’t have answers for any of Gladio’s questions, and by the end of the night you were almost regretting your decision to go. You hadn’t realized how... _involved_ the whole prom process was, and it was a bit exhausting. 

There was one thing that kept you optimistic about going, if you were being honest with yourself; you would get to see Gladio dressed up in a tuxedo. You’d confirmed that detail with him at least, and suddenly, alone in your bed, you found yourself imagining what he would look like. The image you conjured in your head was much more...enticing than you thought it would be. You had frequently seen Gladio in various states of undress—he was definitely not uncomfortable with his body. Seeing him completely dressed up, then, would be somewhat intimate and forbidden, in its own way. Watching his bulging muscles move under tight, tailored fabric would be the ultimate sinful pleasure. You thought about how warm it would feel in his arms, dancing across the floor together. You imagined pressing your face against his strong chest and inhaling his amazing scent, his hands holding you tightly by the waist. The thought made your heart race, and you tried to dispel it from your mind. You squeezed your Moogle doll to your chest and the sound of Gladio’s voice only made you feel more heated. You spent the night restless and frustrated; what little sleep you were able to get was filled with erotic dreams that left you sweaty and slick. 

The following day was impossibly difficult for you. Not only could you barely keep your eyes open, you were also still very much plagued by thoughts of Gladio. By the time you made it through classes and your after-school lessons, you were quite literally falling asleep over your dinner with Ignis. 

“AHEM,” Ignis cleared his throat loudly, snapping you out of your unconscious state and saving you from falling face-first into your bowl of soup. “Am I so boring that you can’t bother to stay awake during dinner? Or perhaps the food is not to your liking?” he asked, annoyed. 

“Sorry Iggy,” you replied, dragging your spoon in a circle through your soup. “I just didn’t sleep well last night.”

Ignis frowned. “Are you having nightmares again?” His eyes narrowed with concern. 

You bit your lip, hoping the heat in your cheeks wasn’t actually visible. 

“Not exactly…” you said sheepishly. “I’m fine Iggy, really.”

“Good,” Ignis replied, picking up a bundle of noodles with his chopsticks. “I want you to look your best for the promotional dance with Noct.”

You almost spit out your soup right in Ignis’ face. “What?” you asked, eyes wide. 

“Honestly, my dear, did you think I wouldn’t find out?” he asked, raising an eyebrow at you. “I’m disappointed that you did not tell me yourself, minette. Have we become so distant that you no longer wish for me to know things of import that go on in your life?”

You frowned. “I’m sorry, Iggy, really. It just happened late last night and I’ve been so tired and out of it all day that it completely slipped my mind.”

Ignis finished his bite of noodles and picked up another before replying. “Well, I suppose I can forgive you. You’re fortunate that I adore you.” He smiled. “Now, we’ll need to procure a suitable dress and ensure that it matches what Noct will wear, and we’ll brush up on your ballroom dancing. Did he say where he would be taking you to dinner?” 

“Umm...we didn’t really talk about any details,” you admitted. 

Ignis huffed. “Typical Noct. Well, don’t worry, I’ll make sure he takes care of everything. And as for you, young lady,” he narrowed his eyes at you, “You will be on your best behaviour, is that clear?”

“What are you talking about, Iggy?” you asked, confused.

He closed his eyes as if in pain, pinching the bridge of his nose above his glasses. “Ma minette, you are a young woman, and Noctis is a young man. I know the sort of debauchery that goes on at such dances—teenage hormones and all that. I needn’t remind you that Noctis is the _Crown Prince of Lucis_ and that you, for all intents and purposes, are a Scientia. Everything you do is a reflection of me and our family, and I will not have you ruining our reputation by behaving indecently with the Prince.”

Ignis was glaring you down at that point, the look in his eyes so cold it could freeze Mount Ravatogh. You couldn’t help but laugh uncontrollably, soup spraying out of your mouth and into Ignis’ face as you let out a giant snort, which of course only made you laugh harder. You gripped your sides, hugging yourself as you slowly let yourself sink onto the floor, where you literally rolled around laughing until your face was streaked with tears and your ribs were sore. Ignis just stared at you in horror, wiping the soup off his face and standing over you with his arms crossed. 

“Are you quite finished?” Ignis asked, toeing the line between annoyed and angry. 

You sat up, planting your feet on the floor and resting your arms on your knees. “Sorry Iggy,” you said, trying to keep another wave of laughter back, “But Noct and I are just friends. We’re going to prom as friends, so you don’t need to worry about something ‘indecent’ or ‘untoward’ happening.”

Ignis pressed his lips together as he bent down to give you a hand. “Come here, you silly girl,” he chided you. “Despite your insistence that nothing will happen between yourself and the Prince, you never know what can come to pass when you’re swept up in the heat of the moment. The low lights, the pulsing music, the closeness of your bodies—it can be overwhelming and intoxicating.” Iggy’s pupils dilated as he stared off into the distance. 

“Iggy, are you alright?” you asked. 

He almost jumped, startled, when you spoke, as if he’d forgotten you were there. You caught one of Ignis’ rare blushes and tried to stop yourself from smiling as he composed himself once again. “I...apologize,” he said, obviously embarrassed. “I just don’t want you to do something that you will regret. Getting involved, in any way, with the heir to the throne of Lucis would likely be a regrettable mistake.”

You took a step towards Iggy and wrapped your arms around his waist. “Don’t worry, Iggy. Please? You know you’re the only man in my life,” you teased, and he smiled, wrapping his arms around your shoulders and holding you close. 

“I’m afraid that won’t be the case for much longer, love.” Ignis sighed into your hair. “A few more months and you’ll be a woman, and some young man or another will catch your eye, and your heart.” He sounded so forlorn, you thought you might cry. You also couldn’t bear to tell him that you actually were interested in someone, fearing not only for Iggy’s feelings but for the wellbeing of your crush. It didn’t matter that Gladio had no interest in you, or that you weren’t ever planning to tell him how you felt. If Ignis knew you had feelings for Gladio, it would not end well. Though they were good friends, Gladio’s reputation as a Cassanova soured Ignis’ opinion of him somewhat, and as your older brother, Ignis would never allow you to even consider getting involved with the playboy Shield. 

“Alright then, you just leave everything to me,” Ignis said, pulling himself together as he let you go. “I’ll make sure Noct gets it together in time for the dance.”

As you were hugging Iggy goodbye at the door to your apartment, he asked, “Are you sure you don’t want me to chaperone the prom? I know Gladio will be there, but he’s just as likely to sneak liquor into the punch as he is to actually prevent any mishaps.” 

“Again, Iggy, please don’t come, you’ll just embarrass me!” you whined. 

“Fine, fine. Perhaps I worry too much..” he said thoughtfully. 

You rolled your eyes. “You think?” you said sarcastically. “Good night, Iggy. Love you.”

“Good night, my dear. I love you too.”

\-----

All anyone could talk about for the next few weeks was the prom. Everyone took it so seriously, as if you were all getting married instead of just going to a high school dance. Prompto was the most excited you’d ever seen him, but he was nervous about what his date would think of him. You tried to convince him that she wouldn’t have said yes if she didn’t want to go with him, but he wasn’t buying it. He was worried she’d judge him because he didn’t have much money and couldn’t afford a nice tuxedo or rent a limo. Noctis loaned him one of his tuxedos, since they were almost the same size, and offered to let Prompto and his date share the limo with the two of you. He even invited them to dinner with you as well, and he told Ignis to order a corsage and boutonniere for Prompto. It was almost as if he’d rather go to the prom with Prompto than with you, given the great lengths he was going to to make sure his friend had fun. Whenever you tried to talk to Noctis about the prom, however, he was so indecisive and noncommittal, always giving short answers or avoiding the questions altogether. The details of it all stressed him out so much, you wondered if maybe the King or Ignis had put it in his head that he _needed_ to attend prom as some sort of princely duty, and maybe he never really wanted to go in the first place.

Ignis took you dress shopping at least five times before you found a dress you could both agree on. It wasn’t your favorite, though. The dress you favored was midnight blue, strapless with a sweetheart neckline and form-fitting down to your hips, where it tapered out into a long, sleek skirt with a high slit on one side. The dress was dotted with crystals in the shape of stars, catching the light so beautifully it made you look like you were wearing the night sky. It was breathtaking, and you looked breathtaking in it, but it was a bit too risqué and much too expensive for Iggy to approve of. The one you’d settled on was black, with thin straps and a split ruffled neckline held together by a rhinestone-studded clasp. It was less fitted but still hung beautifully on your frame, and the long circle skirt flared outwards with the help of several layers of tulle. It was definitely the most beautiful dress you’d ever owned. 

Gladio took a special interest in your prom plans, asking about your dress and suggesting restaurants for dinner (though you were sure Iggy would have the final say on that one). He asked if you’d told Noct what your favorite flowers were. He wanted to know where you were getting your hair and makeup done, and he gave an odd frown when you told him you were just going to do them yourself. He said Iris had been practicing with hair and makeup, so he’d send her over to help you out. According to a conversation you overheard between Noct and Prompto, Gladio was also bugging the Prince pretty incessantly about the prom. “I dunno why he cares so much,” Noctis had complained, “It’s like he thinks we’re not going to have a good time unless I make sure everything is perfect.” You couldn’t help but smile at that—Gladio’s concern that you enjoy yourselves and Noct’s annoyance at his Shield’s meddling. 

\-----

After weeks of almost constant discussion, the day of the prom finally arrived. A little after lunchtime, Iris came to your apartment to help with your hair and makeup, as Gladio had suggested. You thought she would come with some supplies or tools, but she arrived with only a small purse. “We have to go pick up a few things. Do you mind?” she asked. You got into your car and followed her directions, ending up at a fancy salon in downtown Insomnia. You gave Iris a skeptical look as you got out of the car and followed her into the salon. Iris ran up to the counter and whispered something to the receptionist, who disappeared into the back. A minute later, a very stylish woman with colorful tattoos and rainbow-dyed hair came out. 

“Ms. Platina?” she asked, smiling at you. You nodded. “Come with me,” she said. You followed the woman into the salon, glaring daggers at Iris as you walked by. 

“It wasn’t my idea!” Iris mouthed at you, giving an apologetic shrug, though she was grinning. 

The stylist’s name was Sylvie, and she proceeded to wash, color, and style your hair in the most intricate braid, wrapping it around your head and securing it with rhinestone-studded pins. She kept your hair close to its original color, adding some highlights and lowlights and one bright streak for a pop of color. When she was all finished, you thanked her profusely, amazed at the masterpiece she’d made of your hair. Sylvie told you to stay seated, and a few minutes later a person with a full face of makeup and a goatee came out, carrying a giant makeup bag. 

“Alright sweetheart, let’s get you done up,” they said, giving you a big smile. “Well, looks like I won’t have to work too hard today; you’re already gorgeous, honey. Now what color is your dress?”

The makeup artist, Chris, spent about 30 minutes doing your makeup. They gave you some fake eyelashes (subtle ones), did a nice dark smokey eye to match your dress, and gave you a matte reddish nude lip color so as not to make you look overdone. When they were finished you were again amazed, thanking Chris for making you look so special. “You did that on your own honey, I just highlighted what was already there,” was their reply. When you asked how much you owed for the hair and makeup, Chris shook their head. “Uh uh sweetie, this one’s already paid for. You’ve got yourself a very sweet older brother.” _Iggy?_ _Really?_ It seemed a little out of character for your brother to spend what had to have been a lot of money on something so frivolous as hair and makeup for a high school dance, but maybe he’d decided to treat you.

Iris was in the waiting area when you came out, her eyes wide and glittering as she took in your new look. “Oh Six, you look amazing!” she said. “Alright, let’s go get you dressed!”

As you got back into your car your phone buzzed—a text message. You struggled to tap the password into your phone; you’d gotten yourself a crystal gel French manicure the day before and the fake nails were a bit difficult to get used to. You handed the phone to Iris, telling her the password and asking her to read you the message as you started up the car. 

“Ooooh it’s from Noct,” Iris teased. “He says he’ll be picking you up a bit early—he needs to take you somewhere before you go out to dinner. I wonder where he’s taking you??” Iris was practically jumping up and down in her seat. “Maybe he’s going to take you somewhere romantic where you can be alone? Oh, you’re so lucky, Noctis is so dreeeeeeamy.”

You couldn’t help but laugh at Iris’ enthusiasm. 

“You’ll have to take lots of pictures for me!” Iris exclaimed. “I really wish I could see Noct in his tuxedo.”

“Alright, just for you Iris,” you agreed.

Back at the Citadel, Iris helped you into your dress, zipping it up and making sure the tulle was fluffed up enough. “What jewelry are you going to wear?” she asked. 

You blanched. Everyone had been so obsessed with all the bigger details of prom you’d forgotten to plan out some jewelry. You didn’t own much, so the decision wouldn’t be too hard.

“Oh, here they are!” Iris called from behind you. She was gesturing to three velvet boxes lined up on top of your dresser. 

“Those aren’t…” you started to say, then you noticed the note underneath one of the boxes. 

_Thought you might want to wear these. See you soon. -Noct_

You set the note down (Iris grabbed it right away) and started opening the boxes. The first one was a necklace—a large silver heart studded with what you hoped weren’t real diamonds, hanging from a delicate silver chain. The next was a tennis bracelet made entirely of again, diamonds, only they were cut in the shape of hearts. The last box was a set of earrings—large diamond heart studs that sparkled beautifully in the light. 

Iris gasped after quickly reading the note and examining the jewelry. “You are SO lucky! Geez, I can’t believe Noct gave these to you. They must have been so expensive!!” she squealed. 

Iris grabbed the boxes and began helping you put the jewelry on. “Wow, you look like a princess!” she gasped. She proceeded to take a bunch of pictures with you and of you. You were in the middle of a silly-faced selfie when your phone buzzed. 

A text from Noctis popped up on the screen. _On my way. See you soon._

“Oh, guess that means I gotta go.” Iris pouted. 

She grabbed her things and gave you a huge hug, wishing you luck on your night with Noctis. She opened the door to leave and almost walked right into her brother. 

“Gladdy,” she squeaked, surprised. 

“‘Bout time,” he complained, “You were supposed to meet Dad in the lobby 10 minutes ago.”

“Sorry!” Iris said quickly. “Bye!” She waved to you as she squeezed past Gladio’s giant form. 

He was wearing his tuxedo, and it was better than you had imagined. His jacket was a modified version of the Crownsguard uniform, cut shorter and more form-fitting. He wore a black shirt with a black vest and a white bowtie. His hair was pulled back and up into a bun, leaving only the buzzed sides free. He looked really, really, good. His eyes caught yours while you were staring and you quickly looked away.

“Hey babygirl,” he said after a moment. “You look… amazing.” You looked back, only to catch _him_ staring this time. He didn’t look away, just took a few steps so that he was inside your apartment, absently kicking the door closed behind him. 

“Hi, Gladdy,” you said, your voice pitched a few octaves higher than you intended. “You look really good too.” You were still staring at each other, his chestnut eyes locked onto yours as you walked closer to him, closing the distance between you. 

“Prince Charmless is one lucky guy,” Gladio said as he brought his hand up to cup your cheek. 

You let out a strained laugh, hoping he couldn’t feel the way your pulse thundered beneath your skin. “Why do you say that?” you asked.

Gladio leaned down, so close his forehead almost touched yours. “‘Cause he’s gonna be with the most beautiful, stunning girl at the prom,” he replied softly. 

You inhaled sharply, catching a whiff of Gladio’s cologne. You tilted your head up, your gaze moving back and forth between each of his eyes. “Just as friends, though,” you whispered. 

“Still the luckiest guy there, getting to dance with you all night,” Gladio whispered in return, his lips hovering near yours. 

“Not if someone else cuts in,” you replied, voice almost all breath. 

Your eyes slipped closed and you heard Gladio inhale deeply through his nose. He exhaled slowly, his warm breath tickling your lips. The moment stretched on forever until you eventually began to lean forward, your pursed lips reaching out towards Gladio’s and finally—you both jumped when you heard someone knocking at the door. 

“It’s Noctis,” the Prince’s voice announced from the other side of the door. “Are you ready? Can I come in?”

You and Gladio quickly parted. Gladio walked over to the door while you nervously smoothed down the front of your already pristine dress. Gladio opened the door and Noctis gave him a confused look. 

“Oh, Gladio, you’re already here,” he said.

“Yeah, had to get Iris outta here. She was running late,” Gladio explained. He backed up so that Noctis could walk into your apartment. 

“Wow, I’ve never been in here before,” the Prince observed as he looked around. “It’s so tiny! Why didn’t Ignis get you a bigger place?” His eyes finally landed on you and his jaw dropped. “Wow…” he said softly. “You look…” Noct fumbled for the right words, “Really nice.”

Gladio gave a small snort. “She looks better than ‘nice,’ Prince Tactless,” Gladio chastised. 

Noctis looked you up and down again, and you did the same. He was wearing a black tuxedo with white pinstripes and silver skull buttons, a black shirt and vest, and a matching black pinstripe tie. His soft, raven-black hair had been spiked up in a way you hadn’t seen before, and his eyes looked an even deeper blue than usual. 

“Sorry,” Noctis apologized, flushing red. “You look…” he said the last part so shyly you could barely hear, “Gorgeous.”

Your cheeks suddenly grew very hot, and you hoped to the Six that your makeup concealed the blush. “You look very handsome yourself, Your Highness,” you replied, giving him your best curtsy. “And thank you so much for the jewelry,” you said as you rose, eyes meeting Noctis’, “I will handle them with the utmost care, as I’m sure they’re on loan and must be returned after the dance.” 

Noctis gave you a bewildered look as he examined the jewels on your skin. “I...um...yes, of course,” he stammered.

“Geez, you’re so nervous you forgot about sending your beautiful date a bunch of jewelry?” Gladio teased. “Don’t you have something else to give the lovely lady, Noct?” Gladio elbowed Noctis in the side, his gaze falling down to a plastic box in Noct’s hands.

“Oh, uh, yeah,” Noctis stuttered, stepping forward and opening the box. 

Inside was a gorgeous corsage made of perfect black orchids. Noct took the corsage out of the box and slipped it on your wrist. 

“Thank you...it’s gorgeous,” you said quietly.

Also in the box was a matching boutonierre, and you pulled it out, removing the pin and getting closer to Noctis so you could pin the flower to his lapel. He was holding his breath as you touched his chest, and your hands shook as you tried not to stab the Crown Prince of Lucis with a flower pin. When it was done you looked up at Noct’s face—he was biting his lip and staring at you. He finally breathed again, and you realized your hands were still on his chest as it expanded beneath your touch. You quickly pulled them away, awkwardly gripping them together in front of yourself.

“Thanks,” Noct mumbled as he fiddled with the flower.

“Alright then,” Gladio said loudly, trying to clear the weird vibe from the air. “I’ll go meet the limo driver and have him pick up Prompto and his date, and we’ll meet you back here after your...meeting.” 

Gladio gave you a discreet wink, then headed out the door. 

“Meeting?” you asked Noctis. 

“Oh,” he replied, “Right. I need to take you to meet someone before we leave. They really insisted upon it and I couldn’t refuse, so, uh, yeah.”

You quirked your mouth to the side. “Hmmm. O-kay. Shall we go then?” you asked.

“Yeah,” Noct replied. “One thing, though. I really didn’t send the jewelry. I’m sorry. Ignis probably sent it and signed my name. I didn’t even think about if you might need jewelry.” Noctis gave you a sheepish look. 

You smiled, giving Noctis a big hug. “It’s okay,” you replied, “I didn’t think about jewelry either! Good thing Iggy’s there to pick up the slack.”

It was actually much more than that, but you didn’t tell Noctis. Iggy had been treating you like a princess all day. “Well, in any case, thank you. Where is Iggy, by the way? I want to thank him,” you said. 

Noctis smiled. “We’ll see him at the meeting,” he answered.

You followed Noct out of your quarters and over to the elevator. He swiped his keycard and hit the button for the top floor—the royal suites and throne room. Your heart rose to your throat. 

“Noctis… who are we going up to meet?” you questioned, suddenly not feeling so well. 

“Don’t worry, I just need to pick something up before we go,” he replied. 

“Okay, but then where are we going, exactly? Who are we meeting?” you asked, still anxious.

He simply smiled, remaining silent as the elevator climbed. When the doors finally opened you were greeted by two attendants. You bowed your head to them as you walked by, following Noct down the long corridor. At the end of the hall he made a left, though you knew his old suites were to the right. Your palms began to sweat. “Noct!” you whispered harshly, but he just kept walking. At the end of the corridor were a pair of giant mahogany doors, inlaid with an elaborate carving of the Astrals. Your mouth was suddenly dry as the Leide desert. The Prince knocked on the door while you stayed several feet back. You’d met the King before, a long time ago when you first arrived at the palace, and you’d seen him in the halls and of course at various events you attended with Ignis, but you hadn’t had a private audience with the man since you were four years old.

“Dad, it’s me,” Noctis said through the door. If there was a response from within, you didn’t hear it. He turned the handle on one of the doors, pressing his thumb onto a metal square built into the handle. You heard the lock click and the door opened. Noctis entered, holding the door open for you.

You stepped into the room—a library/office of sorts, though it was as large as Noctis’ whole apartment. There was a formal sitting area near the door, and sitting in one of the grand armchairs was none other than King Regis Lucis Caelum. He rose, walking over to you, and you bowed as deeply as humanly possible. “Your Majesty,” you said reverently. “It is an honor to be in your presence.”

“My dear, there is no need for such formalities. You are my son’s guest. I’ve invited you to my private study. I hardly think we need to stand on ceremony,” King Regis replied.

Noctis entered the room, coming to stand at your side. He introduced you to the King, who took your hand and kissed it. “Ms. Platina, the pleasure is all mine,” he said. 

“So, you’re the apple of our dear Ignis’ eye,” the King added with a grin. “And now you’ve got my son wrapped around your little finger as well.” 

“No, no, Your Majesty! I apologize—it’s nothing like that. Noctis—I mean the Prince—and I know each other through Ignis, and we go to school together, that’s all,” you said quickly. 

King Regis just laughed. Noctis looked like he was going to be ill. “I’m so sorry my dear, I couldn’t resist. Please forgive me. Noctis has spoken of nothing else except yourself and the prom. He’s been rather insufferable, to tell the truth,” the King gave you a big smile and a wink.

“Daaaad,” Noctis groaned. He was as red as a pepper. 

“Though now that I see you for myself, I can see why my son is so keen on you,” King Regis said. 

There was a sudden knock on the door. “Your Majesty, it’s Ignis Scientia,” you heard the familiar voice through the door. Noctis ran to open the door for Iggy. 

“Apologies, Your Majesty, the meeting with the palace staff ran late,” Iggy said, bowing to the King. “Ah, my dear, you’re here as well,” Iggy turned towards you. His jaw dropped similarly to Noctis’ as he took in your appearance. “Minette, you look absolutely stunning. I am surprisingly at a loss for words,” he said, his voice getting quieter with each word. 

“Well it’s all thanks to you,” you replied with a smile. “Thank you soo much Iggy, for everything.” You stepped over and hugged him, careful not to mess up your hair or makeup. 

“Shall we take a picture of the lovely couple?” King Regis asked. 

Ignis got out his cell phone and took a few shots of you posing with Noctis, then you with the King, then finally you and Noct with King Regis. “Now let me get a picture of the siblings,” the King said, taking Ignis’ phone. 

Iggy came to stand next to you, wrapping his arm around your shoulder. The King took a few photos like that, then he told you to change poses and did a few more. Finally, he had Noctis pose with you and Ignis, all of you making silly faces. 

“Many thanks, Your Majesty,” Ignis said, bowing his head as he took his phone back. 

“Any time, Ignis. Please have those printed and send them to me, will you?” the King asked. 

“Dad, we have to get going,” Noctis said impatiently. “Gladio’s here with the limo.”

“Right. Well, I wish you both the most wonderful of evenings. Please make sure to enjoy yourselves—I will be sorely disappointed if you’re home _before_ midnight,” King Regis said. He gave Noctis a tight hug, whispering something in his son’s ear before letting go. He then pulled you into a similarly tight hug. “Thank you for agreeing to go to the prom with Noctis. He needs as many normal teenage experiences as he can get. Please make sure he has fun,” the King whispered in your ear. “I couldn’t have chosen a lovelier girl myself.”

“Have fun, and please be safe,” Ignis said as he hugged you. “Don’t let Noctis do anything foolish.”

You and Noctis exited the King’s study, leaving Ignis and King Regis behind the large double doors. Noctis subtly reached for your hand, twining your fingers together as you walked back down the hallway.

“Let’s go,” Noctis said.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> BAH I thought I would get to the actual prom by now but I guess this is not happening yet. 
> 
> I look forward to you guys freaking out over this. ;)


	6. Chapter 6

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The prom.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I thought this chapter was longer than the rest of them so that would make up for it taking so long, but it turns out it's actually shorter than the last chapter :-/
> 
> I normally don't write chapters this long anyway so I feel like it's long. Are you ready?

You and Noctis held hands all the way through the palace, into the elevator and down to the main floor. You talked about how embarrassing Iggy and King Regis had been, making a fuss over the both of you. Noctis joked that they were both probably crying now, hugging each other and lamenting how their babies had grown up so fast. You snorted, adding that you really felt like Iggy was your mom sometimes and not your brother—or whatever he really was. You and Noctis emerged from the palace, laughing as you ran down the front stairs towards the limo. Gladio was leaning against the car waiting for you. He watched you and Noctis approach, frowning when his eyes landed on your entwined fingers. His eyes met yours and he gave you a look that you couldn’t quite interpret. He looked like he was about to say something as you approached him, but instead he opened the door to the limo and climbed in. 

He left the door open and you and Noctis entered after him. Gladio sat against one side of the car, leaving ample space for you and Noct to sit in the back with Prompto and his date. Her name was Cindy and she was a senior like Prom and Noct. She was from Hammerhead, a small town outside of Insomnia, and had moved to Insomnia for high school. She had actually been held back a year after moving, so she was a year older than Noct and Prompto. You hadn’t interacted with her much, but she was very sweet and friendly, her “country charm” and bubbliness making her popular with almost everyone. You sat next to her and Noct sat next to you, closest to Gladio, though still a good 18 inches away from him. 

Cindy was wearing a very revealing red dress with a big diamond cut out of the front revealing her tan, toned stomach. Her short blond hair was done up in ringlet curls, and she looked just like a supermodel. She leaned over in her seat and wrapped her arms around you, pulling you into a tight hug. 

“Hi, I’m Cindy!” she said, the words bubbling out of her in that wonderful country drawl. “It’s so nice to officially meet ya! I’ve seen ya ‘round school but never had a chance to introduce myself.”

You tentatively returned the hug, introducing yourself formally. Cindy pulled back from the hug but kept her hands on your shoulders, taking in your appearance. “Oh my, don’t you look stunnin’!” she exclaimed. “The Prince sure is lucky,” she added with a wink. 

Noctis gave an anxious chuckle and adjusted his tie. Gladio huffed quietly. 

“Well I’m pretty lucky too!” Prompto piped up. “I mean, um, you know, having such great date…” he mumbled.

Cindy smiled and took Prompto’s hand in hers. Instead of long, fake French-tipped nails like yours, she had opted to keep her nails short, painting them glossy black—probably to match the ever-present grease stains from long hours in the school’s auto shop. “Aww, aren’t you sweet,” she replied to Prompto. He flushed bright red, highlighting his freckles, and Noct and Gladio let out small laughs. 

The drive to dinner was mostly uneventful after that. Prompto got out his camera and took some pictures of everyone, though the lighting inside the limo was less than ideal. When you arrived Gladio got out first, followed by you and Noct, then finally Cindy and Prompto. Prom handed his camera over to Gladio and asked him to take a few pictures of the four of you in the front of the restaurant—one of the most expensive venues in Insomnia. Everyone there spoke in harsh whispers as you walked by. They were all from the most noble families, and were surprised to see their Prince in such _common_ company. You, Noct, and Prompto had spent lots of time together in public, but usually at arcades or diners, where the other customers were your classmates or people who didn’t necessarily recognize Noctis without his royal retinue. Though you were of very noble status, most people didn’t know who you were. The last time your face had been in the public spotlight was after your parents died; now no one really cared or remembered the poor orphaned Platina girl. 

“They must be from that _public_ school he goes to,” you heard one woman whisper with disdain. Gladio stepped towards her, leaning down and giving her such a mean glare you thought she might wet her pants. 

When you got seated, Gladio sat as far away from you as possible. He didn't say much the whole dinner, just focused on his food and listened to Cindy and Prompto chatter away with each other. He wasn't his usual friendly, outgoing self—even when he was talking his answers were short and to-the-point. He didn't even want to stay for dessert, seemingly wanting to just get the whole evening over with. You tried to catch him on the way out of the restaurant as Noct and Prompto walked out together, but Gladio bolted ahead of you, leaving you behind to talk with Cindy.

"Seems like he's got a bee in his bonnett," Cindy whispered in your ear. You nodded, remembering the moment in your apartment earlier. If you hadn't been interrupted by Noctis, would Gladio have let you kiss him? Did he want that, too? It seemed too good to be true, though you had to admit there was a certain electricity between you in that instant, and when Noct showed up it fizzled into nothing. Maybe Gladio was just caught up in the moment, both of you looking so formal and polished. You were the one who was initiating things, you had to remind yourself, so it was entirely plausible that Gladio's bad mood stemmed not from the fact that you'd been interrupted, but by the fact that you had even attempted such a stupid thing as kissing him in the first place. What would the Shield to the Prince of Lucis, celebrated Crownsguard soldier with the body of a god want with you? He was 20, likely had many girlfriends (or at least lovers, from the way Noct talked about it) and you were 16, still in high school and with no experience and nothing to offer.

When you got to the hotel where the prom was being held, Gladio waited for everyone to exit the limo before getting out. You tried to go last so that you could talk to him, but he subtly avoided you again. The hotel was amazing, one of the Lucis Caelum chain—the most exclusive one. The decorations were immaculate. A deep black velvet carpet lined the entryway; silver paper lanterns hovered above the main atrium. The walls were decorated with giant black and white photographs of the senior class printed on aluminum, many of them taken by Prompto. There were tables piled high with the most elaborate hors d'oeuvres, and a tower of "champagne" glasses (likely sparkling cider). There was even a giant table with every kind of fruit and dessert you would want surrounding a chocolate fountain for dipping. The ballroom where the actual dance was taking place was even more elaborate. The ceiling was decorated with thousands of string lights in the shapes of stars, though the strings blended into the black ceiling so they looked like they were floating. They hung down in long strands that dotted the entire ceiling, some plain white, some painted with silver so they sparkled. There were also spotlights and strobe lights around the room, reflecting off the stars and creating beautiful shadows over the floor. There was a stage for a live band that would perform later, but when you arrived there was just a DJ in the corner playing remixes of popular songs. Above the stage was a giant banner celebrating the class with everyone's senior portrait and signature on it.

You wondered briefly if the prom was usually this elaborate, or if the school had gone all out because the Prince would be in attendance. Prompto and Cindy were in awe of the place; you were too, for the most part—growing up in the palace didn't mean you were used to these types of events. Noct was mostly unphased, probably accustomed to such elegance. He and Prompto ran over to the dessert table to check out the chocolate fountain, both trying to get as much chocolate onto their chosen items as possible. Gladio stayed in the corner facing the door so that he could keep an eye on the entire room—what he was trained to do as a Shield. You caught his eye once, trying to get him to acknowledge you, but he just looked down at his hands as soon as your eyes met. You gave up, instead joining Cindy at the table with the sparkling cider. She reached up to take one of the glasses but hesitated, unsure how to remove one without messing up the whole display. She had just started pulling one out from near the top when a waiter ran over with a tray of drinks, explaining that the tower was really just for show and offering you both a glass from his tray. You would have been mortified but Cindy just laughed it off, joking that they should really put a sign up or something. The waiter couldn't stop staring at her, looking from her lips to her ample cleavage and down to the large window of exposed skin on her stomach. Cindy didn't even seem to notice, either oblivious to her affect on people or just used to being gawked at.

As if on cue Noctis and Prompto returned to you, Prompto giving a mean look to the waiter as he looped his arm into Cindy's. You tried not to laugh—Prompto trying to look mean was like a puppy trying to growl. He was just too sweet and innocent for you to take seriously. Cindy looked at him appreciatively, patting his arm to comfort him. Noctis took your hand in his again, asking if you were ready to go into the dance. You walked with him into the ballroom, finding a seat at a candlelit table and setting down your drink. Noct had piled a plate full of chocolate-covered fruit and desserts, offering them to you. "I wasn't sure what you liked," he said with a sheepish smile.

"Strawberries are good," you replied.

He proceeded to pick up a strawberry and held it out in front of you, the tip of it just touching your lips. You stuck your tongue out to lick a stray drop of chocolate from the berry, and Noct's eyes widened. You opened your mouth further and he slid the fruit between your lips, allowing you to take the tiniest bite. You closed your eyes, savoring the flavor.

"Mmmm..." you hummed. Noct looked about as red as the strawberry when you opened your eyes, and he stared at you for a moment before bringing the fruit up to his own lips and taking a bite. You sat there staring at each other in silence for a few moments, Noct bringing the giant berry back and forth between the two of you until nothing was left but the stem. Cindy and Prompto had already gotten up to dance and Gladio was standing against a nearby wall, so you and Noctis were left alone. After a couple of minutes Noct stood up, holding his hand out to you.

"Do you wanna dance?" he asked. The DJ was playing some really upbeat mix of one of the newest pop hits in Insomnia, and though you weren't a huge fan of that music you decided to at least try to dance to it. Your hand slid against Noctis' as you walked with him out to the dance floor, and you weren't sure which one of you was sweating more. You'd never danced with the Prince before, and you had never seen him dance at the few royal events you'd been to. You knew he would have taken all of the same ballroom dancing lessons that you learned as a child of a noble family, but you weren't sure if he had any experience or talent dancing to popular music. 

The dance floor wasn't crowded, but there were a good number of people dancing. You saw Cindy and Prompto and headed towards them, but Noctis led you over to a corner, away from the main group of dancers. You cast a glance back to your friends; Cindy was moving like she was made to dance, all hips and shoulders in perfect sync with the music, bending over slightly in front of Prompto and rubbing her body against his. Prompto looked like he was about to have a nosebleed or pass out—probably both. Before you had a chance to observe further, Noctis had pulled you over to face him. He started moving somewhat awkwardly, trying to find his rhythm with the beat of the music. He looked at you with a sheepish smile.

"I want to see you dance," he said as quietly as he could to still be heard over the loud music. "You're the real dancer here. Show me what you can do." His voice was almost teasing.

You swallowed back the lump in your throat as you started to sway to the beat. You closed your eyes, listening to the music, letting the sound pass through you and guide your movements. You moved your feet back and forth, tapping to the rhythm, then snaked your hands up into the air. Your hips began to move almost of their own accord, rotating in wide circles as your ass moved up and down. You began to swing and twirl, imagining your body like a sea plant, moving with the current of the ocean. You opened your eyes to find that Noct had stopped dancing. He was just standing in front of you, watching you with wide eyes, jaw slightly slack as he admired your sensual movements.

"Wow," you saw him mouth, his voice too quiet to be heard. He tentatively reached a hand out to rest on your waist, trying to sway and weave to match your movements. He started to get the hang of it, mirroring what you were doing (though with a little less finesse and gyration). He moved his other hand to your waist and pushed his body closer to yours, looking at his feet as he did. After a few moments he managed to lift his head, looking into your eyes. His sapphire irises sparkled with fire despite the darkness of the room, and the look he gave you was so intense you shivered. The Prince moved his hands lower, to your hips, all sense of shyness and hesitation gone. 

"I love the way you move," Noctis said.

"You're not so bad yourself," you replied with a smile.

The song changed, something a bit slower, with deeper bass. Noctis flipped you around so that your back was pressed to his chest, his hands on your hips holding you tight against him as you moved together. You were really enjoying yourself, feeling Noctis and the music and letting all your frustrations flow out with your movements. Out of the corner of your eye you saw Gladio standing by the DJ station, watching you. He had his arms crossed in front of him, a serious expression on his face—his bodyguard stance. Your eyes met his and this time he didn't look away, watching stoically as you ground your hips against the Crown Prince. Gladio’s expression was unreadable, lips pressed into a thin line. You decided to let it go and just focus on enjoying the dance, moving with Noct so that you no longer faced Gladio. The room was filling up as more and more people moved onto the dance floor, and you were no longer dancing alone in your little corner. It was mostly dark, so no one really recognized Noctis—something you and Noct were both relieved about. 

You danced together for a few more songs, and you turned your body to avoid Gladio's gaze whenever you were near him. At the end of a particularly fast song you were ready to go back to the table, but the band took the stage and introduced themselves—they were the hottest band in Lucis right now. They said they were going to start with one of their new songs, which happened to be a slow one. You and Noctis looked at each other for a moment, both of you breathing a little heavily from dancing. An instant later Noct's hands were around your waist, holding your close to him. You instinctively wrapped your arms around his neck, moving slowly with him as the song started. It was a beautiful song, and you grew a little emotional as you listened to the words. It was yet another song about unrequited love, but somehow this one rang truer to you than the hundreds of other generic songs out there. The singer's voice was so raw, you knew he had to have been hurt before; the words seemed to pour straight from his soul. You looked up into Noctis' eyes as he held you close, and he looked at you like he knew exactly how you were feeling. He took a deep breath before pressing his forehead down to yours, and you could feel his exhale against your lips as your own breath caught in your lungs. You stared at the Prince as his eyes fell gently closed, his skin warm against yours. You let your own eyes close, feeling Noct holding you to the earth as the music made you feel infinite and impossibly small all at once. Being there with Noctis wasn't at all what you had imagined, and you wondered briefly what he was feeling in that moment.

You didn't have to wait long for an answer. Noctis lowered his head, tilting it to the side as his lips gently grazed your own. You inhaled sharply through your nose as his actions took you by surprise. Without realizing it you reciprocated, moving your lips closer to Noct's as he moved his hand to the side of your face, holding you to him. After a moment of slow, soft kissing you pulled back, suddenly aware of what was happening. You stared at Noctis with wide eyes, and he could do nothing but smile at you as if you had given him his greatest wish. You knew something had to be done...this was wrong, wasn't it? You couldn't do this...could you? You grabbed his hand and quickly led Noctis out of the ballroom, dodging all of the people in the main hall and finding a small side room to enter. You caught a glimpse of Gladio storming out of the ballroom as you went to close the door. He looked around, trying to find where you and Noct had gone, and when he didn’t see you he stomped out of the hotel. You closed the door and turned to find Noctis giving you a confused look.

"Noct, I..." you started, but he silenced you by bringing his lips back up to yours.

You pushed him away as gently as you could. "Noctis, please," you begged, looking up at him with wet eyes. "This isn't easy to say..."

"Then let me go first," Noctis interrupted. "I've liked you for so long...I just never knew how to tell you. When the announcement for prom came up I realized I had to the perfect way to ask you out. I thought I was dreaming when you said yes. And now, dancing with you, holding you in my arms, kissing you for the first time, it's the most amazing night of my life." He took both your hands in his. "Will you be my girlfriend?"

You were in shock. It was so much worse than you had imagined, and now here you were, about to break the Crown Prince of Lucis' heart. "Noctis..." was all you managed to say, practically a whisper. You felt the tears in your eyes start to flow.

"What's wrong?" he asked, countenance suddenly falling into deep concern. He took your face in his hands, thumbs gently wiping away your tears.

You couldn't speak, too confused and upset to form words. Noct wrapped his arms around you and held you against his chest, one hand gently stroking your back. "It's okay, everything's fine, please don't be upset," he said softly. "What did I do?"

You pulled away, holding Noct's shoulders for support. "Noctis, I'm sorry," you said, trying not to let your voice break.

"Sorry for what?" the Prince asked. "What's going on?"

"I don't have feelings for you like that," you replied, unable to look him in the eyes. "I thought we were coming here just as friends. I didn't know you were inviting me as a date...I'm so sorry I gave you the wrong impression, Noctis." You choked back a sob as the guilt overwhelmed you.

"Oh." Noctis hung his head, staring intently at the floor. "No, I get it, it's okay," he said, voice pitched a little higher than normal. It made the hole in the pit of your stomach deepen, hearing the hurt in your best friend's voice.

"I love you so much Noct, just...not like that," you said, pulling him into a hug. "Please tell me we can still be friends?" You tried not to sound too desperate—it was of course up to Noctis if he could handle being your friend after this, but you really needed him in your life. You couldn't imagine your life without Noctis and Prompto, since they were really your only two friends. Well, maybe Cindy now, but she would probably take Noctis' side and stay away from you once she found out what had happened.

"I just...I need some time, okay?" Noct said. He leaned into your hug, burying his head in the crook of your neck. "I've never had to deal with something like this before. I don't even know what to do now."

"Me neither," you replied. You sunk down to the floor with Noct, still hugging each other. You sat like that for who knows how long, afraid to let go and face the reality of the situation. A million thoughts ran through your head. _How long had Noctis felt that way? Why hadn’t you seen it? Did you really not have feelings for him, or could feelings possibly grow?_ You had actually enjoyed the kiss, though it was really only your second kiss ever (your first being that spin-the-bottle fiasco with Juvenis your freshman year). Maybe if you started a relationship with Noctis, your feelings for Gladio would fade. _Would it really be so difficult, dating your best friend?_

After several minutes you were both breathing normally. Noctis pulled away from you, giving you a small smile. “Specs would have probably killed us anyway,” he said, and you both laughed. 

“No, you’re his precious Prince, he would never do anything to you,” you teased. “Me, on the other hand, I would probably be punished for the rest of my life for even thinking about defiling the sweet, innocent Prince of Lucis.”

Noctis snorted and you both doubled over laughing. You both got up and walked out of the room, dusting off your clothes as you went. You saw Gladio standing in the corner of the main hall. He glared at you over the plate of dessert he was eating, then turned to face the other direction. When you re-entered the ballroom they were just announcing the Prom King and Queen. To your slight surprise, Prompto and Cindy had won, and they were both overjoyed. Noctis cheered louder than anyone as the two blondes climbed onto the stage to be crowned. After Prompto and Cindy had their “royal” dance they came over to you and Noct.

“Where were you guys?” Prompto asked. “You almost missed us being crowned!” He sounded a little hurt. 

“Sorry,” Noct said. “I wasn’t feeling well so we went outside for some air.”

“Awww, maybe we’d better get going then,” Cindy replied. She looked at your eyes, likely seeing the subtle mascara tear stains you’d tried wipe off. She gave you a sympathetic smile as she reached out to touch your arm. 

“Yeah, I’m pretty wiped out,” Noctis replied, giving you a quick look. 

You found Gladio back in the main hall, and Noct explained to him that you were leaving. He gave a curt nod before heading out the main doors, taking out his cell phone to alert the driver to come back around. You sat in the same seats back inside the limo, though you stayed mostly quiet on the ride home. Prompto and Noctis were talking about King's Knight or some other little silly thing. You were trying to catch Gladio's eye, but he blatantly ignored anything you tried to do. Cindy must have noticed the weird tension between the two of you; either that, or she just wanted an excuse to pull out her flask. "You guys wanna sip?" she asked, gesturing to you and Gladio.

"Can't," Gladio said flatly, not even looking in your direction. "Don't really care what she does, though."

His words were like a slap in the face. Cindy turned to you and you grabbed the flask out of her hand, taking a huge swig of it and almost choking. Noct immediately stopped talking to Prompto and leaned over to help you, finding a bottle of water in one of the cupholders and opening it for you. He patted your back as you drank the water down in between coughs, and Cindy apologized profusely as she tucked the flask back into her purse. 

“Are you okay?” Noct asked as he continued to rub your back. “You know you don’t do well with strong alcohol—why’d you take such a big sip?”

You shrugged. “I dunno, I guess I just didn’t care,” you said flippantly, side-eyeing Gladio. 

“I’m so sorry, I should have told you it was super strong,” Cindy apologized again. 

“It’s not your fault,” you replied. She nodded, giving Gladio an angry look. 

Gladio huffed. 

The limo dropped you off at the palace first, since you were the closest. Noctis walked you up to your apartment, stopping outside the door with you. He waited until you had the door open, then took both your hands in his. The way he looked at you, with such sincerity, made your heart ache. 

“I had an amazing time tonight,” he said, “Even after… everything. You’re still my best friend—besides Prompto—and nothing can change that.” He leaned in closer to you. “I know you don’t feel the same way I do, but can I ask for one last kiss?” 

You nodded, leaning up and closing your eyes as you pressed your lips to Noct’s. You moved your lips slowly, with all the care in the world, as if he might break if you were too rough. Noctis deepened the kiss, though he kept the slow pace, savoring every moment. You let yourself go, still feeling a tiny bit lightheaded from the alcohol, and gave in to the feeling, letting Noct’s tongue enter your mouth and reciprocating, leaning into his body as he wrapped his arms around you and held you tight. It was bittersweet perfection, and neither of you wanted it to end. 

When you finally parted, you saw Gladio a few yards away, leaning against one of the walls. He had seen everything. He walked over to Noctis. “She forgot her bag,” he said bluntly, avoiding looking at you as he handed the Prince your handbag. He turned and walked away without saying another word. Noct handed you your bag, then pulled you in for a tight hug. 

“Thank you,” he whispered in your ear, “For everything. You’re my shining star, always.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ANGST.


	7. Chapter 7

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> *Throws angst at you and runs away*

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Though many of you expressed heartbreak at the most recent chapter, I also got several requests for more angst so... here it is.

The next few weeks following the prom were awful. Seeing Noctis at school was… uncomfortable… to say the least. He acted like nothing was wrong when you were together, but there was an undercurrent of sadness that ran through all of your interactions. It didn’t help that Prompto was now spending more of his time with Cindy, leaving you alone with Noct more frequently. Cindy did join the three of you often, but she and Prompto usually ended up kissing or talking quietly to each other when you hung out. One weekend Cindy invited you to go shopping, just you two girls, but you had too much homework to do and you didn’t really feel like explaining everything that had happened at prom to her just yet. You didn’t know what was worse, the situation with Noct, or not seeing Gladio for a whole two weeks. You went to the gym every night, practiced for your usual amount of time in the cardio room, and not once did Gladio make an appearance. According to Noctis, Gladio had cancelled a couple of their practices right after the prom. When he did resume training it was at the Amicitia house—probably so he could avoid coming to the palace. Gladio was being harder on Noct than ever, pushing him until he was bone tired and on the verge of serious injury.

“It’s like he’s pissed at me, but I didn’t do anything,” Noct complained. “I don’t think I can take much more of this,” he said as he stretched out a sore muscle. He examined a series of bruises on his legs that he didn’t remember getting. “Ouch!” He winced after poking at one of them. 

You tried to piece together why Gladio was so mad, why he was treating Noct so badly and just flat-out ignoring you. You texted and called him several times, your texts going unread and your calls being directed straight to voicemail—which you were sure he didn’t listen to. Ignis had been very busy with preparations for Noct’s graduation, among other duties, so you hadn’t had a chance to talk to him about the prom. The one brief conversation you had came when you’d stopped by his office to drop off the exquisite jewelry you’d worn for the prom.

“Hey Iggy,” you started, “Sorry to bother you. I just wanted to return these—I know Noctis didn’t get them for me and I figured they were on loan from one of the palace jewelers. Thank you for picking them out for me—they really did make me stand out, and they’re so beautiful. It was a really sweet gesture.”

Ignis looked at you like you had two heads. “I didn’t rent any jewelry for you,” he said bluntly. You set the jewelry boxes on his desk and he opened them, giving them a quick look. “I’ve never seen these before. Are you sure the Prince didn’t procure them for you?”

You stared at Ignis. “Yes, I’m sure, he told me he’d forgotten all about jewelry and that you’d probably sent them and signed his name on the card.”

“His name was on the card?” Ignis questioned, truly perplexed. “Well, perhaps the King sent them in Noct’s stead. He knows how absent-minded his son can be.”

You nodded, still not fully convinced but not really willing to argue. There wasn’t any better explanation. If Iggy had really gotten the jewels and wanted to deny it, you weren’t going to push the subject. “Well, can you make sure they’re returned to the proper people?” you asked.

“Yes, yes, of course. Now if you’ll excuse me minette, I have several tight deadlines coming up. The Crown Prince of Lucis only graduates from high school once in his life. Hopefully. And there is still some paperwork to be done for his college admission forms. I promise I will have dinner with you as soon as I have a free evening.”

“Sure Iggy, no problem. Take care of yourself, don’t work too hard,” you said as you walked around his desk to give him a hug. You held him tight, resting your chin on his head as you stood next to his desk chair. He set down his pen and paper to return the hug.

“I love you my dear,” he said.

“Love you too, bro,” you said, jokingly. Ignis gave you a look.

“I suppose that’s acceptable,” he replied.

\-----

One day at lunch, Prompto brought a bunch of photos he’d printed from prom. You all went through them, laughing at some of the sillier ones and remembering the excitement of the evening. You noticed that in most of the photos of Gladio he usually looked sullen or apathetic, not his usual grinning self. You smiled at how happy Cindy and Prompto looked together—they were really a cute couple. Their bond was especially apparent in photos from later in the night, including selfies they had taken together. They had their hands all over each other and were in a general state of blissfulness. It was too adorable for words. Alternately, the photos of you and Noct took a sudden turn during the evening. At the beginning of the night the photos of you were sweet, both of you holding hands or standing with Noct’s arm draped gently around your shoulders. There were a few candid shots that Prompto had taken where Noctis was just looking at you, a small smile on his face and a spark in his eyes. Your heart clenched at those, knowing what he was likely thinking during those moments.

Prompto had even gotten a few photos of you two dancing without your knowledge, your bodies almost melding together in the darkness of the room and your smiling faces staring happily at each other. Your stomach dropped when Prom got to a photo of you and Noct’s kiss. You chanced a look at the Prince sitting across from you; his eyes were downcast, like a cloud was hovering over his whole countenance. It really was a beautiful picture, and the two of you looked great together, better than you would have imagined. It was a moment of sweet bliss before you’d ruined everything. The photos from after that moment showed just how terrible you’d made things. You and Noct stood together but barely touched, your smiles forced with a lingering sadness. Noct’s eyes were flat, lacking all of their earlier sparkle. Gladio looked even worse, his face twisted in annoyance or even anger. That hurt too, knowing he was so upset.

After lunch, Noctis snuck the photo of you two kissing into his notebook when he thought no one was looking, and you felt your cheeks grow hot. It was such a small gesture that you knew held so much meaning, and it was like rubbing salt in your already wounded heart.

Prompto caught up with you on the way to your next class and slipped another photo onto your stack of books. You stopped to look at it, feeling hot tears well in your eyes. It was a photo of you and Noct running down the front stairs of the palace, holding hands. You were looking at each other and smiling, happy and in your own little world together. Seeing the picture made your brain start spinning again, knowing that Noctis made you so happy and that the two of you really did look great together. Why hadn’t you thought of him like that before? Was it too late to give it a chance? You sent Noctis a text asking if he could meet with you that evening.

_sure_  
_come by ~7_  
_should be done training by then_  
_everything ok?_  
  
_Yeah, just wanna talk_  
  
_K see you then_

The walk to Noctis’ apartment was the most nerve-wracking 10 minutes of your life. You looked down at the photo Prompto had given you, taking a deep breath to try and slow your racing heart as you approached the Prince’s door. You held your hand over the doorbell for what seemed like an eternity, unable to move the extra two inches it would take to actually press the button. It was 7pm exactly, so maybe he wouldn’t even be home yet. Just as you were about to (you swear, you were really going to do it) ring the bell, you heard the elevator beep, and the sound of voices coming from down the hall. You turned, your stomach sinking down 20 floors to the street below as you saw Noct and Gladio walking towards you. Noct gave a small smile and a wave, his expression saying he was unsure what he should be feeling about your visit. Gladio stopped dead in his tracks, going silent as he stared at you.

“See you tomorrow, Noctis,” Gladio said before turning and running to catch the elevator before its doors closed.

Shit. Things must be really bad if he’s calling the Prince Noctis instead of the usual Noct, or the ever-popular Prince Charmless, Sleeping Beauty, or any other number of nicknames the Shield had for his Prince.

“Hey,” Noctis greeted you as he walked up to the door. He pressed his keycard to the door panel and you heard the lock turn.

“Hi,” you replied quietly.

Noct opened the door, then stepped aside to let you enter first. You took your shoes off and walked into the living room, taking a seat on the couch. You rested your hands awkwardly on your knees, looking around as if you’d never been in the room before. Had that photograph always been hanging on the wall? Were those recessed lights always there in the ceiling? How did you not remember that he had a huge balcony overlooking the city?

“Do you want something to drink?” Noct asked you from the kitchen. “I’ve got water, some ginger ale, and loads of Ebony,” he said. You let out a small chuckle, knowing exactly why there were a few dozen cans of the coffee drink in the Prince’s fridge at all times.

“Ginger ale would be great, please,” you replied, hoping that maybe the bubbly drink would help with the butterflies in your stomach.

Noct returned from the kitchen with two cans of the soda, popping yours open before handing it to you.

“Thanks,” you said as Noctis sat down next to you, keeping a respectable distance. You had set the photo of the two of you on the coffee table and he saw it, setting down his soda (without a coaster) and picking up the picture.

“Prompto give this to you?” he asked, surprised.

You nodded. “Yeah. It’s a good photo.”

“It is,” Noct agreed, letting out a small sigh. “So what’d you wanna talk about?” he asked, setting the photo back down and turning to look at you.

You couldn’t find the words, instead just pointing to the photo.

“A photo of us?” he asked, confused.

“Us,” you replied, gesturing between him and yourself as you said the word.

Noctis’ eyes went wide, but he remained silent.

“I’ve been thinking about us ever since the prom,” you continued. “I... I’ve been really confused. I don’t know how I feel about things. About us. I enjoyed that night, and what happened...it was good. I definitely liked it. But I don’t know what that means. I didn’t ever think something like that would be possible between us, and yet, it happened, and I don’t think I would be disappointed if it happened again.”

Noct just stared at you, mouth agape. “So what are you saying?” he questioned.

“Maybe we should give this a try,” you answered.

His face went through a spectrum of emotions you weren’t sure you could decipher. “Why?” he asked, looking almost angry. “Why now, and not at prom? What made you suddenly change your mind? Some photo of us?”

“I... No, of course not. I just thought... I’d never imagined us as more than friends, and when you kissed me I couldn’t process what was happening. And I have—had—feelings for someone else. But I haven’t been able to stop thinking about you since prom, and I want to explore these feelings,” you stammered.

Noctis turned his head away from you. “Seriously? How could you say something like that?”

“Noct...I... what do you mean?” you asked.

“Ugh.” Noctis scoffed as he turned back to face you, eyes wet and jaw tight. “Six, you think you can just break my damn heart, crush it to pieces on what was supposed to be the best night of my life so far, then just come back and change your mind like everything’s fine? Like I’m just waiting around for you, to be here whenever the fancy strikes you? Do you have any idea how that makes me feel? Like I’m a damn toy, there for you to play with when you want and to ignore when you’re bored with me. I don’t deserve that.” His voice rose as he spoke, growing more angry and raw every moment.

“Noctis, I’m sorry... I didn’t see it like that. I didn’t realize I would make you feel that way...” you reached out to touch his arm but he flinched away from you.

“I thought I was in love with you. You were the only thing I could think about, I dreamed about you, counted the minutes until I would see you again, wondered what it would feel like to kiss you, to dance with you, to hold you in my arms,” Noct continued, his voice starting to break.

“And you never once thought about me like that until I kissed you. How is that fair? And who is this other person you had feelings for? You can’t just stop having feelings so quickly, it doesn’t fucking work like that—I should know, I’ve tried. Did he reject you, is that why you came crawling back to me like this?” he snapped.

You felt hot tears hit your cheeks before you’d even realized you were crying. The pain was instantaneous and deep, like a hot knife through your chest.

“ _You’re_ crying? Why are _you_ crying? You don’t get to cry—you aren’t the one who’s suffering.” 

_Pressing the knife deeper._

“You act like you’re above everyone else, not making any friends, taking all of the advanced classes, studying and dancing and learning to run a business and still having time to look so beautiful without even trying. You fucked up my life before you even met me, you know? You took Iggy away from me—he had to raise you because _no one else wanted you_.” 

_A sharp twist of the blade._

Noctis stood up as he yelled at you, tears streaming down his face.

“You live in _my_ palace _for free_ , get close to _my_ only friend, take time away from _my_ advisor and _my_ Shield—yeah, I know about your little gym nights with Gladio. He’s the one you have feelings for, isn’t he? Fucking figures. You just take and take and take and don’t care about anybody else or what they might be feeling, what they might need, as long as you’re happy and you get what you want. I wish Cor had never found you, never brought you here. Everyone would be so much better off without you!” 

_The final push, twisting and pulling the knife back out, leaving nothing but a burning, gaping hole in your chest._

He walked over to the front door, picking up your shoes and throwing them at you.

“Get out of here,” he said flatly, “I don’t wanna see your face anymore.”

You quickly wiped the tears that were pouring from your eyes, grabbed the shoes that had landed in your lap and ran out of the apartment without even bothering to put them on. You couldn’t remember how you ended up getting home and collapsing in your bed. When you woke up in the morning you were still wearing your clothes and your feet were covered in tiny cuts. You didn’t even remember falling asleep. Your face was raw from layers of dried tears, your eyes puffier and redder than when they’d been infected with pinkeye. You managed to stumble into the shower, get dressed, and meet the car that took you to school every morning. 

Noctis wasn’t at school that day. Prompto said he’d called in sick. You knew you must have looked terrible from all the stares you were getting. You caught all the worried looks Prompto and Cindy had been exchanging, but you didn’t bother to comment. At the end of the day, Cindy finally decided to broach the subject in your shared science class. 

“Hey girly,” she said as she sat down on the lab stool next to you. Her voice was much softer and quieter than usual. “What’s goin’ on? Things’ve been really strange since prom,” she commented. 

You sighed. “I don’t really wanna talk about it,” you said softly. 

“Alright, I get it,” Cindy replied. “Just let me know if you need someone to talk to. I won’t tell anyone, not even Prompto.” She placed her hand over yours on the high lab table. “I want us to be friends, ya know? I’ve never had a girlfriend, not a close one anyway.” She looked at you with such warmth in her olive green eyes, it was impossible to say no to her.

“Thanks, Cindy,” 

“Hey, I know what crying yourself to sleep looks like, and I’d bet 10 Gil our Prince looks just the same, if not worse,” she said quietly. “Prom told me he went to see Noct last night, to work on a project together. Noctis told him to go away but Prom wanted to make sure he was okay. When Noct opened the door… he looked like he’d been chopping a whole field of onions. And there was… a hole in his wall, about the size of a fist. Noct told him you’d just been there but he didn’t say anythin’ else, so Prom made him some warm milk and sent him to bed.”

You felt tears well in your eyes and Cindy pulled you close. “Hey, I’m sorry, I shouldn’t’ve told ya that, it was stupid of me,” she whispered, running her hand gently down your back. 

Just then the teacher walked in, instructing everyone to get out their textbooks. Cindy let you go but moved her stool closer to yours so your shoulders touched, pretending that she hadn’t brought her book so that you could lean in over yours together without it looking strange. 

“Thank you for telling me,” you whispered when the teacher wasn’t paying attention. “I just, I did something because I thought it would make us both happy, but I didn’t consider Noct’s point of view and I hurt him, really bad. I made him really angry and now he hates me.” You inhaled deeply, trying to ward off the tears you felt burning in your eyes. 

“Sugar, Noctis could never hate you. I’ve seen the way that boy looks at you—he adores you. Which is probably what this whole mess is about, right?” Cindy asked.

You just nodded, not trusting your voice with the threat of crying so imminent. 

“He’ll get over it, I promise, just give it time,” she replied. 

You nodded, though you weren’t so sure she was right.

\-----

The following weekend Cindy finally convinced you to go out with her—not shopping, though—to the gym. You’d grown tired of spending nights alone in the palace gym facility, and Cindy knew you liked to work out and dance. She invited you to go to this gym in old Insomnia that taught pole-dancing, something she liked doing and she’d said was really good for whole-body fitness. You agreed, figuring you’d give it a try, and with all the dancing you were going to be doing it probably wouldn’t leave too much time to talk if you didn’t feel up to it. 

Cindy picked you up on a Saturday morning in her old red pickup truck that she’d fixed up who knows how many times. She was wearing, well, barely anything by your standards—a tiny tight sports bra and little jogging shorts. Maybe that was the proper fashion for pole-dancing workouts, but you stuck to your compression leggings and tank top. Hopefully you wouldn’t stand out too much in the class. The gym was in a small brick building, obviously quite old compared to the rest of Insomnia’s sparkling skyscrapers—it looked like it could have been an old factory. The inside was all brick as well, with the standard gym equipment spread out on the main floor in one big room. The patrons here looked like they were all business; no one was dressed in any fancy workout gear, mostly old t-shirts and plain gym shorts. There were no tvs or music playing, nothing to distract the people that were exercising. They all wore headphones or had books propped up on their machines. Upstairs were the various group exercise rooms, and at the very back of the building was the surprisingly large pole-dancing room. Several poles were set up along the middle of the room, which was lined with mirrors. You realized the room had to be huge so that you’d all have room to swing around without bumping into each other.

“Class’ll start soon,” Cindy said. She walked over to a pole at the center of the room. “I usually use this one. You can use the one next to me,” she gestured to the pole to her left. “If you get lost during the routine just look at me!” she added. “This is gonna be so fun!”

You gave her an unsure smile, not at all convinced that this wouldn’t be the most embarrassing thing you’d ever done. A few more girls filed in, and one guy, each of them claiming a pole. The guy ended up next to you—he couldn’t have been more than a few years older than you, and he was incredibly attractive. Cindy nodded her head towards him and raised her eyebrows suggestively. You shook your head. While he was attractive, he wasn’t necessarily your type—about your height, very muscular and tan, with fake blonde hair. He gave you a friendly smile.

“Haven’t seen you here before, you new?” he asked.

“August, this is my friend from school I was telling you about,” Cindy said, leaning over to talk to the man.

“Nice to meet ya,” August said to you, holding out his hand. “Cindy told me you were pretty, but damn,” he gave you a wink and you tried to stutter out a reply.

Luckily the instructor happened to walk in at that moment. “Hello class,” the tall silver-haired woman said. She stopped right in front of you. “I see we have a new student with us today. Welcome, I’m Aranea,” she introduced herself to you. She was wearing an outfit similar to Cindy’s, except Aranea was wearing sky-high heels and fishnet stockings in addition to the bra and shorts. You quietly introduced yourself and the rest of the class welcomed you with a synchronized twirl around their poles. You couldn’t help but laugh, a giant grin forming on your face for the first time in what felt like years. Cindy just gave you a happy look, as if she had known that this type of activity was just what you needed. 

The class was intense but fun, though you were sure you were going to have bruises and sore muscles in parts of your body you didn’t even know existed. At the end you were a sweaty mess, and you realized Cindy was smart to have chosen such skimpy attire. Cindy was much less of a mess than you were, and she said she was going to go straight home after dropping you off, so she let you borrow the spare clothes she had in her gym bag—something you had neglected to bring. Working out in the palace gym, in the same building as your apartment, meant you never had to think of bringing spare clothes with you. Or showering in public. Cindy laughed as she held a towel in front of you while you washed up; she likely had never had any insecurities about her body, and couldn’t understand your apprehension about being naked in front of other people. 

You dried off quickly and changed into Cindy’s extra clothes—tiny denim shorts and a red crop top. You cringed at showing off so much skin in public, but Cindy assured you that you looked amazing. At least you would only have to wear them until you got home, you consoled yourself. Being a Saturday it was unlikely that the palace would be busy, and you could sneak in through the service entrance to avoid being seen. Everyone you cared about was avoiding you like the plague anyway. 

Maybe it was the endorphins from the exercise, or the excitement of the class, or just being with a good friend, but for the first time in weeks the thought of Noct and Gladio didn’t make you immediately want to burst into tears. You and Cindy were smiling and laughing as you walked out of the locker room and out through the main floor of the gym, and you were so wrapped up in your conversation that you walked right into another one of the gym patrons as he waited for a machine to open up. You looked up just as he turned around, and your heart dropped down to your stomach before bouncing back up to your throat.

Staring down at you with wide, chestnut eyes, was Gladio.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Please don't hate me! This hurt to write omg I'm sorrrrrrrrrrrry.


	8. Chapter 8

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> You ordered more angst? No? Sorry, I had a bunch leftover so I decided to share. Enjoy! >:)

“Gladio!” you yelped, “I’m...sorry!” You moved quickly to walk by him but he moved with you, blocking your way. 

“What are you doing here?” Gladio asked angrily. “Shouldn’t you be with Prince Charmless?”

You shook your head. “No, why would I be? I came to take a class with Cindy. Not that it’s any of your business.”

Gladio scoffed. “Awful long way to come for a class. You couldn’t get someone to come to the palace?” 

“No, this type of class can’t be taught at the palace. And this place is close to Cindy’s house. Why are _you_ here?” you asked. 

Gladio looked from you to Cindy, trying to piece it together. “Why are you wearing that outfit?”

You flushed, suddenly remembering how you were dressed. “I forgot to bring spare clothes so Cindy loaned me some. You didn’t answer my question.”

“Whatever,” he replied. “You know why I’m here. I _thought_ it would be far enough away that I wouldn’t run into anyone I know.” He paused, letting out a deep sigh. “Obviously, I was wrong.”

“Obviously,” you snarked. “Well, I won’t disturb you any longer,” you said coldly as you lifted your chin and started walking towards the door. 

Gladio looked like he was mulling something over in his head before holding his arm out to stop you. “Wait,” he said sternly. 

“What?” you asked impatiently. 

He turned to address Cindy. “Can you leave us alone to talk? I’ll take her home,” he said. 

Cindy gave you a questioning look, but you just nodded. “I’ll be okay.”

“If I don’t hear from you in an hour I’m callin’ the police,” Cindy said as she gave you a hug goodbye. She shot a glare at Gladio.

“Gladio’s kind of above the police, Cin,” you joked. “But thanks. I’ll call you as soon as we’re done.”

“C’mon,” Gladio said once Cindy had left. He led you to an office in the back of the gym. “We can talk in here.” He sat down on a simple metal chair on one side of the room, gesturing for you to sit on a small couch on the adjacent side. “My friend owns the place,” he replied to your questioning look. 

You both just sat for a few minutes, Gladio leaning forward with his elbows on his thighs, staring down at his folded hands, you with your legs folded up on the couch and your head tipped back against the wall. Finally Gladio let out a deep sigh, running his hands together as he looked over at you. 

“Why are you doing this?” he asked. He didn’t wait for you to answer. “Couldn’t you take the hint? I don’t answer your texts or your calls, I don’t go to the palace anymore—I don’t wanna see you or talk to you. At all.” Gladio sat up, rubbing his hands on his thighs. He had a pained expression on his face that quickly flashed to anger. “But you’ve taken it too far. How did you know I would be here? Have you been following me?”

You opened your mouth to speak, but Gladio continued. “It doesn’t matter. Why are you wasting your time trying to talk to me? You’re with Noct.” 

“Gladio,” you started.

He stood up, pacing back and forth in front of the chair. “I should have known,” he muttered, almost under his breath, not looking at you. “Of course you’d choose him. Who wouldn’t want to be with a handsome Prince, he can give you anything you want and more.” His voice was so distant, dejected. He seemed lost in his train of thought. 

“GLADIO!” you yelled, standing up and walking over to him. His eyes were wide and deep as you stared up at him. “Listen to me,” you said firmly. “Noctis and I, we aren’t together. We never were.”

“Don’t lie to me. I saw you kissing.”

Your cheeks were suddenly hot. “Yeah, we kissed, but we’re not together. It’s complicated.” 

Gladio gave you an incredulous look. “Enlighten me.”

“Fine,” you snapped. You stared at the floor as you spoke. “At the prom, Noctis kissed me, and I didn’t know what to do. I took him to one of the empty rooms and he told me he had feelings for me and asked me to be his girlfriend.” You took a deep breath. “I told him I couldn’t because I had feelings for...someone else...and that I didn’t feel the same way about him.”

You looked up at Gladio. He had stopped pacing and was now staring at you wide-eyed, his anger replaced by surprise. “Then why were you kissing him when he walked you up to your apartment?” he asked suspiciously. 

“He...he asked me for one more kiss, as sort of a goodbye, okay? I couldn’t say no. He’s my best friend. Or...he was.” Your voice dropped with the last sentence, the beginnings of tears burning in the back of your eyes. 

Gladio could see the distress in your face. He gave your shoulder a gentle pat. “Did something else happen?” His tone betrayed his concern. 

You looked up into his huge chestnut eyes and couldn’t stop the flood of words from tumbling out of your mouth. “A few days ago I thought maybe I could make it work with Noct since he’s my best friend and of course he’s attractive and I figured maybe being with him would help me get over...that other person and I could develop stronger feelings for Noctis and we could both be happy.” 

You had to catch your breath for a moment before continuing. “But when I went to his apartment and told him I wanted to give us a try he just yelled at me and called me selfish and inconsiderate and told me I was just playing with his feelings. He said a lot of really harsh things and he told me everyone would be better off without me and that he didn’t want to see my face anymore.”

Your voice broke with the last sentence and you tried to hold back the tears, sniffling lightly. 

“Oh,” Gladio said quietly, realization dawning on his face. “No wonder the brat hasn’t shown up for practice the past few days. I thought he was ditching to spend time with you.” He gave you a sad look. “Guess it hurt him pretty bad.”

“I should go. This was a bad idea,” you said as you turned back towards the door.

Gladio caught your wrist and gently pulled you back. “Wait,” he said softly. 

By now the tears were falling and you quickly wiped them away with the back of your free hand before looking at Gladio. 

“I know Noct didn’t mean what he said.” Gladio let his hand slide down your wrist and twined his fingers with yours. “He was just angry and hurt and he wasn’t thinking.” 

“You weren’t there, you didn’t hear him. He hates me now!” you cried.

Gladio rubbed the top of your hand with his thumb. “That’s not true. I know he could never hate you. He was hurt and upset and he lashed out, that’s all.”

“You can’t know that!” you snapped back.

Gladio sighed. “I do know. I did the same thing.”

You stared up at him, confused. 

“I—” he started, but he stopped when the office door opened. It was the pole-dance instructor, Aranea. 

“Big G!” she exclaimed, her tone surprised but pleased. “Back for another round?” she asked playfully. She turned her gaze over to you as if just suddenly noticing you were there. “Oh, you’re the girl from my class earlier.” She turned back to Gladio. “Big G, I appreciate your enthusiasm in keeping our sessions interesting, but she seems a bit too... _inexperienced_ to keep up with us.” She winked. “No offense, dear.” She began walking over to Gladio, ignoring you. “Our usual room upstairs is free,” she almost purred, “And I’ve got protection this time.”

You felt something inside you snap at her words. You tore your hand away from Gladio’s and ran out of the office, weaving in and out of the gym patrons and bursting through the front door. You stole a glance behind you and saw Gladio pushing Aranea out of his way as he tried to chase after you. You just ran, turning street corners and cutting through empty alleyways, losing yourself in the unfamiliar landscape of the old city. Tears were streaming down your face and your lungs burned from the effort when you finally stopped in front of a used bookstore. You went inside, hoping to escape Gladio’s pursuit and to distract yourself. 

The short, elderly woman behind the counter looked you up and down, noting your heavy breathing. “Can I help you, young lady?” she asked sweetly. 

“Oh, I’m just gonna look around,” you answered, trying your best to smile casually. 

“If you’re looking to run away from something, no better place to escape than in a good book,” the woman replied, giving you a knowing look. 

Not wanting her to see your blush, you averted your eyes and quickly strode over to the cramped aisles of bookshelves. The smell of the old books was comforting—it reminded you of the library at the Citadel. You picked up a few titles, reading the first few pages of each before setting them back on their shelves. You were kneeling down to look at the bottom shelf when the shopkeeper stuck her head around the corner, scaring you half to death. 

“Having trouble finding one you like?” she asked, leaning down so she was almost in your face. 

You nodded. 

“Here, my best customer just traded this one in. He really enjoyed it.” 

She handed you a thick volume with a hard leather cover, obviously quite old but well taken-care of, with gold lettering on the spine and a beautiful moonrise painted on the cover. _One Thousand and One Nights._ It was a book you had seen many times before, had even checked out of the library on one occasion, but you’d only read a story or two from the volume. You opened the book to find that the previous owner had scribbled notes all over the text, marking their favorite stories and writing notes along the margins. 

“No charge,” the shopkeeper said, “Just come back and tell me how you liked it. Bring another book to trade in.”

“Are you sure?” you asked. The book couldn’t have been that valuable, unless it was an antique, but you still felt bad taking something for free, especially from such a sweet old woman.

“I don’t run this shop for the money,” the woman replied. She gave you a warm smile and walked back up to the front desk.

You stood up, taking the book in your hands. “Thank you so much,” you said before you walked out of the store, “I’ll be sure to come back when I’m done.”

As you walked outside you realized you were still in Old Insomnia, far from the Citadel and without any knowledge of the area or how to get home. 

A phone call and 20 minutes later and you were in Cindy’s pickup truck on your way back to the Citadel.

“I don’t wanna talk about it,” you said after a long silence. Cindy hadn’t asked any questions when you called her, just asked you for the cross-streets where you were and headed over to pick you up.

“Didn’t think ya did,” Cindy replied. “Though I am curious ‘bout the book. I figure you’ll tell me when you’re ready. Or you won’t. Your business is your business.”

You knew there was a reason why you liked Cindy. “Thanks,” you said, “For...everything.”

The car pulled up to the front of the Citadel. “Hey, no worries sweetheart. I’m just sorry I put ya in that situation to begin with.”

You had your hand on the passenger door handle, but you hesitated. “What do you mean? You didn’t know Gladio would be there.”

Cindy gave you a guilty look.

“You knew?” you asked, incredulous. “How? Why did you do it?”

Cindy threw up her hands in defense. “I’m sorry! I saw Gladio a couple’a weeks ago when I was going to my pole-dancing class. Luckily he was too busy on the bench to notice me. I saw him again the next week at the same time, so I figured he had a schedule. Turns out I was right.”

You groaned. “Cindy! What did you think would happen?”

“Obviously not what just did! I dunno what ya’ll talked about or what happened between you two, but I know I made a mistake, and I’m so sorry.” Cindy wrung her hands in her lap, looking at you imploringly.

You sighed. “I’m not mad, Cindy. You were just doing what you thought was best. I wish you would’ve told me the truth earlier, but I forgive you. I know if you told me I probably wouldn’t have come.”

Cindy reached her hand out to rub your back.

“It was good to see him, I guess. Learned some things I wouldn’t have known otherwise,” you added sadly. “Gods, I can’t deal with this.”

You turned to face Cindy, putting your hand on her shoulder. “Thanks again, Cindy. You’re a good friend.” And with that you pulled the handle, opening the passenger door, and jumped out of the truck.

You ran up the stairs to your floor, book in hand, and practically crashed through your front door. You threw your backpack onto the bed and began stuffing it with random clothes, things you thought you might need and things you probably didn’t need at all, but your mind was too cluttered to think straight. You packed the book in among your other things, grabbed a few bottles of water from your fridge, and locked the door behind you before heading down to the garage.

You threw your backpack into your car before hopping in—the car that Noctis had bought you. Had he done it just as a ploy to earn your affection? You started the engine and forced the thought out of your mind. As you exited the garage you realized this was one of the very few times you were driving your car by yourself without Gladio in the passenger seat, instructing you. You thought you were important to him, that that was why he took such an interest in helping you and spending time with you, but maybe he was just doing it out of respect for Ignis, or because he knew you were important to Noctis. Maybe he just pitied the poor orphan girl who cried at her birthday party over trick candles. 

You sped through all of the stoplights on your way to the freeway, almost causing an accident or two as you drove, music blaring through the expensive stereo system and hands gripping the steering wheel tight. You couldn’t think about Noctis. You couldn’t think about Gladio. You were nothing to them, right? It didn’t matter anyway, you didn’t want to come back. You’d drive as far as you could, maybe to Lestallum, or Galdin Quay, and ditch the car. It was registered to the Citadel, you were sure it would make its way back to Noctis. You could get a job, serving food or something, maybe end up becoming a supervisor with all of the business classes you’d been forced to take. Or you could just live on the beach—the tent Gladio put in your trunk was probably still there.

 _UGH. No thinking of Gladio!_ He wouldn’t care where you were, what ended up happening to you. You were just a quick distraction to him, someone to occupy the time in between his sexual escapades with women like Aranea, real women that you could never compare to. And Noctis, he probably used to care, but he had made it clear that he never wanted to see you again. He’d called in sick for the last few days at school, and Prompto told you he’d even gone to the office to change his schedule so that he would no longer be in any of the same classes as you.

As if to prove your current train of thought wrong, your phone began to ring, the call showing up on the huge screen in the car’s console. A photo of Gladio popped up on the display and you ignored the call, turning of your phone for good measure.

After about 30 minutes on the freeway you reached Hammerhead. You needed to get gas and your stomach was growling, so you figured it was as good a time as any to make a stop.

You sat in the diner eating your burger and fries and staring at the black screen of your phone. After a few minutes of indecision you pressed the power button, bringing the phone back to life. You were immediately assaulted with several voicemails from Gladio and a text from Ignis. You swiped them off the screen and shut down your phone again. You looked out the window of the diner and watched the sky turn pink with the setting sun. In an instant your heart was in your throat and you almost choked on your food. You were too far from the city to return before dark. You were stuck out here until the morning with nothing but a backpack full of clothes and possibly a tent in your trunk—you still hadn’t confirmed its presence. You quickly paid for your food and inquired about lodgings. You were in luck, there was a caravan just outside of the diner. You must not have noticed it on your way in. You had just enough Gil to rent the lodgings for the night—in your haste to leave you’d forgotten that they didn’t take Crowns as currency outside of Insomnia, and you only had Gil in your wallet from the last time Gladio had taken you out driving.

As you laid on the lumpy caravan bed you couldn’t help but feel a little guilty. You’d left without telling anyone, so no one had any idea where you were. If anyone even noticed you were missing, that is. The only one who might have been concerned about your disappearance was Ignis, and the chances were slim that he would find out you were missing any time soon. In actuality, the first sign anyone might have that you were missing would come on Monday morning when you didn’t show up for school, and you had more than 24 hours before that happened. You decided that you would head for Galdin Quay in the morning. You had enough gas to get there and hopefully you could find a job at the resort. Then you could sleep in your tent (you’d confirmed it was still in your trunk) until you saved enough money to rent a room somewhere. Or maybe you’d save up enough money to move to Altissia, far, far away from anyone who knew you. You could start a new life, maybe become a professional dancer, fall in love with an artist. And you’d stay as far away from the royalty and their retinues as possible.

You tried to imagine what Altissia would be like, with the beautiful canals and stunning waterfalls you’d seen in pictures. However, your mind kept drifting back to Insomnia. You heard Noctis’ words repeating over and over in your head— _Everyone would be so much better off without you!_ He was right. Without you, Noctis and Gladio wouldn’t have anyone to be so angry at. Ignis wouldn’t have wasted so much of his life raising you, taking care of you when he could have been taking care of the Prince, as was his duty. Your existence, or lack thereof, wouldn’t really affect Cindy or Prompto either way. Your family’s company could have gotten a new start with a new CEO, instead of waiting for the only living heir to come of age and get her shit together to come take everything over. The palace would have saved so much money if you’d never showed up, and Cor, your savior Cor, would never have had to deal with the unwanted feelings of attachment your presence garnered. For all intents and purposes, you should have died in the daemon attack with your parents and saved everyone a whole lot of trouble. Keeping you alive must have been some cruel joke of the Astrals.

You slept fitfully, tossing and turning as nightmares plagued your unconscious mind. You dreamt of the daemon attack, only this time it was attacking the caravan, rocking it back and forth before completely flipping it over and tearing through the thin metal. You laid on the ground, watching helplessly as the daemon hovered over you, its eyes glowing red as they stared down at you. It raised its arm, bringing its sword up before swinging it down at you. All you could do was scrunch your eyes closed and hold your arms up in front of you, bracing for the impact. The sword burned worse than anything you’d ever felt as it collided with your arms and your eyes snapped open. You woke up drenched in sweat, panting loudly and tangled in a mess of blankets. The caravan and the world outside were quiet save for the constant hum of the generator nearby. You climbed out of the caravan bed and ran to the small bathroom to splash cold water on your face. You stared into the mirror and tried to calm your breathing as the droplets of water rolled down your nose and cheeks. You pressed your hand to the glass, wishing you could have been anyone else in that moment. 

You dried your face and threw yourself back onto the bed. You picked up your phone and turned it on to check the time, only to be bombarded with notifications. A million voicemails and texts from Gladio, a few texts from Cindy, and one from Ignis. 

You read Cindy’s first. 

_R u ok?_

_Gladio called & asked where u were_

_Told him I dropped u off but he said u weren’t home_

_He’s been waiting at ur place for u_

_He’s gonna call Ignis if u don’t come home tonight_

The timestamp on the last message was 12:37am. It was just after 3:00am, so you hoped you weren’t waking her up with your reply. 

_Sorry. Needed to think. I’m fine._

Then you took a deep breath and decided to go through Gladio’s texts. The voicemails could wait. They started from earlier that afternoon, when you’d run away from him at the gym. 

_12:42pm_

_Why’d you take off? We weren’t done talking_

_I was gonna tell Aranea to leave us alone_

_12:55pm_

_Oh shit. What Aranea said...it wasn’t what it sounded like_

_We aren’t...we’ve never done anything...like that_

_Please talk to me so I can explain_

_2:12pm_

_I’m sorry_

_3:09pm_

_Please talk to me_

_6:59pm_

_Since you won’t answer your phone I’m coming over_

_7:26pm_

_Where are you?_

_You didn’t answer your door so I used my Crownsguard keycard to get in_

_There’s clothes everywhere and your car keys are gone_

_10:01pm_

_I’m getting worried okay? Seriously where are you?_

_I’ve been waiting here for you_

_Cindy said she dropped you off this afternoon_

_Where did you go??_

_11:38pm_

_I’m going to wait here all night_

_Cindy said you didn’t answer her texts_

_If you aren’t home by morning I’m gonna tell Iggy_

_You know he’ll freak out_

_1:03am_

_Seriously can you just let me know you’re alive_

_Please_

You felt a sinking feeling in the pit of your stomach. You were about to open Ignis’ message when a new text from Gladio popped up on your screen.

_3:07am_

_I got your read receipts_

_I know you’re on your phone_

You rolled your eyes. Figures you’d forgotten to turn off read receipts. You went into your phone’s settings to fix that, but Gladio’s face showed up on your screen—he was calling you again. You swiped it off the screen, quickly turning off read receipts in your settings before turning the phone back off. You pulled the covers up over you, too exhausted to process or care about the messages you’d received, and quickly fell asleep.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> P.S. Don't hate me I love you all. All of the comments and kudos and support and tears on the last chapter really meant a lot to me. I'm so happy so many of you are enjoying this/crying over this/feeling things about this! <3 <3 <3


	9. Chapter 9

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Whew, sorry this took so long! I really struggled with how this chapter should go. I tried a few different directions before settling on this one, so I hope you enjoy it!

You woke up a couple of hours after sunrise, unable to ignore the burning rays of sunlight that filtered through the thin curtains of the caravan. For a moment you were disoriented, not realizing where you were. After a second it all hit you at once and you groaned loudly, bringing your hand up and slowly dragging it down your face. A part of you couldn’t believe that you’d done something so impulsive, so childish as trying to run away from your problems. Problems that _weren’t even that bad._ You knew you should go back—hopefully only Gladio and Cindy knew you had left, and you could deal with them easily enough. A greater part of you, though, the stubborn, selfish part of you, wanted to keep running away, despite the consequences. Or maybe you wanted to run away _because of_ the consequences. If it kept Gladio worried, good. He deserved it. Maybe Noctis would find out somehow and he’d feel guilty—also well-deserved, if you had anything to say about it. 

You quickly gathered the few belongings you’d brought and were about to walk out of the caravan when there was a knock at the door. You peeked through the blinds—it was the owner of the diner, the one who’d rented you the caravan. His name sounded like “Taco,” though you couldn’t for the life of you remember what it actually was. 

“Oh, did I miss check out time? Sorry, I’m leaving right now,” you said as you opened the door. 

Taco laughed nervously. For a business proprietor, you’d noticed he certainly was awkward around people. “No, Miss, you’ve still got an hour if you’d like.”

You gave him a look, silently wondering why he was there if not to kick you out, when you noticed a bag in his hands. 

“Sorry to be so forward Miss, but I couldn’t help overhear you say ‘that was my last Gil’ under your breath when you paid for the room last night,” Taco continued. He couldn’t hold your gaze as he spoke, instead staring down at the bag in his hands. He held it out towards you. “I dunno where your travels are takin’ you, but I’d feel awful if I let you leave without getting a little food in you. It’s pretty far to anywhere civilized from here.”

You took the bag from Taco, staring at him with wide eyes and red cheeks. “Thank you, so much,” you said softly, emotion cutting through your words. “I don’t know what to say. You’re so kind.” It was then that you noticed his apron—Takka’s Pit Stop.

Takka gave you a soft smile. “I’ve seen enough kids in your situation to know how it is,” he replied. “If you do decide to come back, come see me, okay? I’ll try to help with what I can.” 

You nodded, feeling tears prick the corners of your eyes. “Really, I can’t thank you enough,” you choked out. 

“Don’t mention it,” Takka answered. “Just outta curiosity, where are you headed?” he asked.

You hesitated for a moment, but the look he gave you was just so genuinely kind you couldn’t help but answer, “Galdin Quay. Hopefully I can get a job at the resort or one of the restaurants there.”

Takka nodded. “Well you seem like a smart girl, I’m sure you’ll have no trouble gettin’ a job.”

You gave him a sad smile as you handed him the caravan key. “Thank you, for everything. Goodbye,” you said, walking out of the caravan and standing next to Takka.

“You’re welcome, Miss. Good luck on your trip and stay safe. Don’t go out on the roads at night.” 

Takka’s advice struck a tight chord in your heart, making you relive the worst night of your life for a few seconds. You shook the image out of your head as you got in your car, setting the food from Takka in the passenger seat and your bag in the back. You started the car and input Galdin Quay into the GPS system. According to the navigation guide, you would get to Galdin in about 3 hours, with plenty of time to find a place to rest before sunset. 

The drive was rather uneventful, with hardly any traffic and not much in the way of landmarks on your route. The only sights were the slowly changing landscape, going from flat desert to rocky desert with a few plains along the way and the occasional herd of wild animals. In your haste to leave you’d forgotten your MP3 player and you really didn’t want to deal with all of the notifications on your phone, so you couldn’t play any music. You turned on the radio to keep from being completely bored but the stations were all different than the ones in the Crown City, and after about an hour you couldn’t get a good signal on anything but the Hunter HQ announcements. You turned off the radio and rolled down the windows. The sound of air rushing through the car provided the perfect soundtrack for your mind to wander. You thought about everything you’d left behind, everything you were running from, everything you probably should have thought about before you’d embarked on this little adventure. 

Your obstinance remained steadfast, however, and despite your doubts and possible regrets, you eventually found yourself pulling into the parking lot of the main resort at Galdin Quay. It was smaller than you’d imagined, but still beautiful. You quickly got out of the car, grabbing one of the sandwiches Takka had given you and walking down to the resort. You found the pier where the boats to Altissia departed from and rushed over to the attendant to ask how much the tickets cost. “2,000 Gil for a weekday trip, 5,000 for a weekend trip” was his response. You swore under your breath—there was no way you could get that much money by yourself without getting a real job. You sighed as you started the long walk back to the parking lot. 

You searched the trunk of your car, finding a towel and a spare blanket amongst the camping supplies. You found a spot on the beach and set your things down, digging into Takka’s sandwich as you watched the people playing in the water. Families with their kids, lovers splashing each other playfully, even a few dogs picking up pieces of driftwood and bringing them back to their owners. Everyone just spending a fun day at the beach, not a care in the world. You wished you’d come here under different circumstances—a trip to the ocean with your brother and your friends, before everything began to fall apart. What you wouldn’t give to go back, just a month, to when everything made sense. 

When you were finished eating you leaned back on the blanket, letting the sound of the ocean and the crisp salt-water air clear your mind. You watched the waves gently lapping at the shore, the midday sun warming your skin. It was all so peaceful, so pure and calm, everything you’d been through slowly melting away. You closed your eyes and lied back on the blanket, bare feet digging into the warm sand. You could do this. You could start a new life, one without attachments or complications. You’d stay in Galdin Quay until you could afford the trip to Altissia, then you’d never look back.

You weren’t quite asleep, though you couldn’t tell how long you’d been lying on the beach, when you felt a shadow over your face, darkening the view behind your eyelids. 

“You’ll get a sunburn if you fall asleep like that, my dear,” a man’s voice sounded from above you. His tone was honeyed and melodious, almost singsongy in the way he chastised you.

Your eyes snapped open and you bolted upright, staring at the strange man above you. He was wearing far too many layers of clothing for a day at the beach, and in fact looked like he belonged in a different era. His age was difficult to determine; though he had to be at least 40, he could have been much older. He stared down at you with odd, almost sickly yellow irises. Tendrils of burgundy hair seemed to slither out from beneath his black fedora—the only somewhat ordinary piece of his appearance.

“Pardon the interruption, dear girl. I was passing by and simply couldn’t let that beautiful skin of yours become sun-damaged,” the man continued, offering you a small bow by way of apology.

“Uh, thanks?” you replied, discreetly looking around for anyone who might be able to help you if this guy got any weirder. 

“I couldn’t help but overhear your conversation with the ticket attendant earlier. You are trying to secure passage to Altissia, yes?” the stranger asked. 

“I was considering it,” you replied nonchalantly, “But I haven’t decided yet.”

The man gave you a cloying smile. “Oh, my mistake then. I simply came by to say that I have an extra ticket, should you wish to accompany me.” 

You stared at him for a moment—his whole aura gave you a queasy feeling in your stomach. “That is very generous of you, but I’m not in a position to repay you, and I don’t feel comfortable accepting favors from strangers.”

The man smirked, a small chuckle filtering from his throat. “My apologies my dear. My name is Ardyn. Now I’m no longer a stranger, am I?” He tipped his hat to you. “I traveled here with a companion, but she is… no longer with me. Alas, I had already purchased two tickets for our trip to Altissia.” 

He reached down to take your hand. “As I truly have no use for the extra ticket, you would be doing me a favor by taking it.” His gaze was boring into you, and combined with his touch he was somehow mesmerizing. 

“I will be traveling on after Altissia, but I find myself there frequently. I’m sure we will have the chance to cross paths again. Perhaps you can repay me at some future meeting.”

You found yourself nodding slowly in agreement, unable to look away from the man’s beguiling countenance. “I would like that,” you replied, almost in monotone.

“Excellent. Now, what is your name, my lovely girl?” Ardyn asked, and the oiliness in his tone snapped you out of your daze. 

“Sandy,” you replied, pulling the first name you could think of out of your head. You were, after all, surrounded by sand. You hoped to the Six that Ardyn wouldn’t see through your flimsy ruse. 

“Wonderful,” Ardyn replied. He bent down to kiss the top of your hand before releasing it. “Sweet Sandy, please meet me at the docks at sunset this evening, that is when our boat leaves.” He handed you the ferry ticket and walked away, seemingly disappearing in an instant. The hair on the back of your neck stood on end for several minutes after he left. 

You spent the rest of the afternoon staring out at the ocean, though you couldn’t stop looking back at the ferry ticket in your hand. It was all becoming real in a way you weren’t prepared for. It had never occurred to you that you might actually get this far, that your far-fetched plan to run away to Altissia was now a concrete possibility. You would be a legal adult in a couple of months, then you could request your diploma from high school and find a real job, or apply to the university in Altissia as you’d always wanted to do. Until then you could get a job waiting tables or working at the hotel—just something to get you by. Surely your grades and talent with dance could earn you a scholarship. You’d already planned to graduate early from high school, after the next semester. You had more than enough credits and could graduate with Noctis and Prompto this year if you’d wanted to, but you weren’t sure Iggy would have signed off on that. Once you were an adult, however, there was nothing he could do to stop you. Ignis wouldn’t even let you apply to the university in Altissia—he had a clear plan for your life and you weren’t going to argue. You were to attend the University of Lucis, just as he was, staying close to the Citadel and managing your family’s company in between classes. He wanted you to be close by in case you needed him, and close to your company’s headquarters. Ignis had planned everything to give you the best, most successful possible future, because he did truly care about you. 

You tried to focus on Altissia, on the new life you were planning in your mind, on the ferry that was going to take you away soon, but reminders of your current life and responsibilities kept popping into your head. Nothing you did could erase the disappointed look Ignis would have on his face when he found out you’d abandoned everything he had done for you. Maybe if you wrote him a long letter explaining everything, he would understand. _What was there to understand, though?_ You had run away from everything, everyone you knew, and for what? To escape the mess of unrequited love and hurt feelings that you’d made for yourself? To seek some future that may or may not be better than the one waiting for you back in Insomnia? As you turned these things over in your mind the sun had dipped ever closer to the horizon, now hovering just above the ocean. The sky was a magnificent pink, with oranges and yellows mixed throughout, all of it shimmering against the water’s surface. The ferry was just pulling into the dock, and your stomach suddenly felt like a black hole. It was now or never, and you finally decided what you would do.

Your feet moved like lead as you walked to your car, your hand slightly shaking as you reached for the door handle. You grabbed your bag and quickly stuffed some items from your car inside it, leaving the tent and camping supplies behind. You locked the doors, tears falling down your face as you said goodbye to everything you had known. It was as if you were walking through wet cement as you approached the docks, your feet growing heavier and moving slower with every step. Ardyn was waiting for you at the gate. He gave you that slick smile as you approached and you almost stopped dead in your tracks. Perhaps you were simply uneasy about the journey ahead of you—that’s what you tried to make yourself believe. 

“Ah, Sandy my dear,” Ardyn said once you were standing in front of him, “I’m so glad you made it. It’s going to be a wonderful trip, more so with such a beautiful young woman as my companion.”

You tried to give him a genuine smile, but it probably came off more pained than anything. Your nerves were at their limit. Any sense of calm you may have had was gone, replaced instead with a feeling of impending doom.

“I spoke with some of my contacts in Altissia,” Ardyn continued. “One of them has a small studio you can stay in, waiving the rent until you’ve settled in and are financially stable. Another owns a restaurant there that you can work at, until you find something more permanent. How does that sound?”

Your jaw dropped. Why was this stranger being so nice to you? What favor was he expecting in return? “Wow, thank you, that is so generous of you,” you said, “You’ve been so kind to me—I am deeply grateful.”

Just then the horn on the ferry sounded, and the attendant at the ticket gate announced that the ferry was now boarding. A throng of people surged around you to make it to the ticket gate, separating you and Ardyn. He was being herded along with the crowd, and a few moments later he was through the gate and about to board the ferry. Several people had shoved their way past you, pushing you further away from the gate. Ardyn waited for you by the gangway to the boat. When you finally made it through the gate, Ardyn met you halfway, looping his arm through yours and escorting you towards the ferry. 

There was suddenly a commotion behind you, back at the ticket gate. “Sir, you can’t get through without a ticket!” the attendant yelled, through he sounded a bit scared. 

You turned around to look and saw Gladio glaring down at the poor ticket attendant. “Try and stop me,” Gladio almost growled. He caught your gaze as he jumped over the barricade, his eyes going wide with panic as he looked from you to Ardyn. He called your name just as Ardyn began pulling you toward the ferry, almost dislocating your arm to get you to move. In an instant Gladio was in front of you, shoving Ardyn away and pulling you into his arms. You heard Ardyn grunt from behind you but you couldn’t turn around. Gladio was holding you tightly against his chest, almost to the point where it was hard to breathe. 

“What the fuck is going on here?” Gladio yelled. You weren’t sure if he was addressing you or Ardyn—possibly both.

“The young lady and I are on our way to Altissia, aren’t we _Sandy_?” Ardyn said, tone scathing as he called you by your chosen alias. Now that he’d heard Gladio use your real name, he was likely furious that you’d lied to him.

“Sandy?” Gladio growled, “What the hell? What kind of sick fuck are you, kidnapping a girl in high school and giving her some absurd nickname?”

“She was the one who wanted to go to Altissia. I simply offered her a ticket and some company for the journey. I have business elsewhere, so the young lady would be on her own once we docked,” Ardyn replied, voice oddly lyrical despite his anger.

“That’s no excuse. I oughtta take you back to the Citadel—I’m sure our Marshal can find an adequate punishment for scum like you,” Gladio snapped.

“Ah, Cor the Immortal? I believe we’ve met. A formidable man, to be sure,” Ardyn snarked.

A crew member came down from the ferry, addressing Ardyn. “My apologies Chancellor, but the ferry is about to take off. Will you be boarding?”

Gladio loosened his grip on you enough that you could turn your head. Ardyn stared at you like the cat who got the cream. “Oh, did I forget to tell you? My full name is Ardyn _Izunia_ , Chancellor of Niflheim. And if you’ll excuse me, I must catch my ride,” he said mockingly, a self-satisfied smirk on his lips. 

You looked up at Gladio. He was staring daggers at Ardyn, his jaw clenched so tightly you could see a vein popping out of the side of his face. Everything about his expression was pure rage, but he remained silent.

Ardyn walked slowly up the gangplank to the ferry, his eyes never leaving the two of you. Right before he boarded he paused for a moment, raising his eyebrows at you. “So lovely to meet you my dear. Now that I know your real name and whom you associate with, I’ll have to look you up the next time I’m in Lucis.” With that, he disappeared into the ferry, the gangway folding up behind him. The ferry’s horn sounded again and it took off, leaving you and Gladio still standing on the dock, his arms still fairly tight around your body. You could feel his chest heaving as he took sharp breaths through his nose. He took a deep breath to calm himself, then looked down at you. 

“Come with me. Now.” Gladio commanded through gritted teeth. He grabbed your wrist and pulled you along behind him. 

You walked off the dock and through the resort, not stopping until you reached the parking lot. His SUV was parked right next to your car, and he led you in between the two. He stopped and leaned against his car, almost flinging your body around so that you faced him. He didn’t let go of your wrist.

“What _the hell_ were you thinking?” Gladio reprimanded you. His voice was raised, and though not loud enough to be considered yelling, his tone was harsh. “The _Chancellor of Niflheim?_ Who knows what he would have done with you? You’re lucky you’re even alive right now!”

“He didn’t say that’s who he was. How was I supposed to know?” you argued, “I’ve never seen the guy before! He just offered me an extra ticket for the ferry, it’s not like I was running away with him!”

“He was a STRANGER, an unsettlingly charming older man who just happened to have an extra ticket to Altissia? Astrals, you should know better than that!” His voice was louder now, angrier.

“Well maybe the idea of an older, _mature_ man who is actually kind to me was just too appealing after all the shit I’ve been through recently!” you snapped back. 

“Well that’s fucking idiotic,” Gladio retorted. “What the hell were you going to Altissia for anyway? Why’d you just run away like that without telling anyone?”

“Because I just had to get away from all this drama, and I figured nobody would care. You’re all angry at me or too busy for me, and everyone would be better off without me anyway. I wanted a new life.” You couldn’t hold his gaze anymore, instead staring at the ground beneath your feet.

“Are you kidding me? Are you _fucking_ kidding me?” Gladio asked, incredulous. “I’ve been worried sick about you—you saw all my messages. And I know you saw all the missed calls. If Noct or Iggy knew you were missing, they would have flipped out too.”

“How did you even find me?” 

“I was up all night trying to figure out where you’d go. I was gonna have the Citadel police activate the GPS tracking in your car, but I knew Iggy would probably find out. Then I remembered that there was a GPS tracker with your camping equipment. I’d put it there in case we ever went camping together and got lost. I pinged it and saw you were here.”

“Why? Why did you bother coming after me?” you pressed.

“Because I fucking care about you! A lot!” Gladio was yelling now. “You’re one of the most important people to me, okay? Why do you think I spend so much time with you? Why do you think I went out of my way to teach you to drive, or to make that Moogle doll for you? I think about you all the time—there isn’t a moment that I’m not missing you when we’re apart.” 

He paused, reaching down to cup your chin and tilt your face up so that he could look into your eyes. “I have feelings for you, babygirl, big ones. I thought I’d made it obvious, but I guess not. I was going to tell you at the prom—I wanted to dance with you so badly—but you and Noct were fawning over each other all night. When I saw you kissing it just… broke my heart.”

He took a deep breath, staring off at the ocean for a moment before looking back at you. “I was so angry. At you, at Noct, at myself for not telling you how I felt sooner. I lashed out and I shouldn’t have, and I’m so so sorry. I wanted to hurt you the way that you’d hurt me, but all that pain was for nothing.”

You struggled to process what Gladio was saying, the reality of his words sending you reeling. “What about Aranea?” you questioned.

“That’s your response to everything I just said?” Gladio let out a sad chuckle. “Fine, sure. Aranea’s a friend of my dad’s. She’s from Niflheim, was a general in their army, but she wanted out once she realized what they were doing. Genetic experiments and all that. My dad helped her escape to Insomnia and she started the gym. I started going there when I needed a place to work out away from… the Citadel.”

“What about what she said in her office?”

“I’ve had a lot of excess frustration to let out recently, so Aranea offered to spar with me. She’s pretty good with a spear, but she underestimated my abilities. I hit her pretty hard in the head with a practice sword last time, so she said she was going to bring a helmet with her in the future. And padded practice clothes.”

“So you and she never…” you said quietly.

“Nah, not even if I wanted to. _Which I don’t_. She’s not into dudes,” he said flatly. “She um, even texted me asking if you were single. I told her you weren’t—sorry. Selfish impulse.”

You laughed, a full, deep, grab-your-sides kind of laugh. Gladio just stared at you anxiously. 

“So uh, I’d kinda like to know how you feel about what I said before. I know you told me you had feelings for another guy, but I just need to know.”

“You are that other guy, dummy,” you teased. “I’ve had a crush on you since the moment I saw you.” 

Gladio’s eyes lit up as he took in your words. “Are you serious?”

You leaned in closer to him, reaching up to cup his cheek with your hand. “Yes, of course I am,” you replied softly. 

Gladio placed his hand over yours, leaning into your touch. “Wow…” he mused, staring so deeply into your eyes you thought he could see your soul. He brought his other hand to your face, gently cupping your jaw. He stroked your chin with his thumb, his touch so soft you could barely feel it. After several moments he moved his thumb, so slowly it was almost imperceptible, up to your lip. You must have been holding your breath because it all rushed out of your lungs in a sigh. His eyes never leaving yours, Gladio ran his thumb along your bottom lip, slow and gentle as a summer breeze. You wondered if he could hear your heart beating out of your chest. 

The sun finished it descent beneath the horizon, leaving you in the lilac shadow of twilight. Gladio leaned down to press his forehead against yours. “We should go find the haven before it gets completely dark,” he said in a heavy whisper. 

You nodded, reluctantly parting from him and going over to open your trunk. Once you’d gathered the necessary camping supplies you looked for the smoke that signalled a haven, finding it on the other side of the beach. You walked in silence to the campsite, setting up the tent and getting settled in your sleeping bags before either of you said another word.

You sat up and looked at Gladio. “So, what do we do now?”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> To those of you who have donated to my [ko-fi](http://ko-fi.com/A0516SQ):
> 
> THANK YOU SO MUCH!!!!
> 
>  
> 
>  
> 
> You are amazing and I am flattered beyond words!! It seriously has made me so happy that you like my work that much and I can't thank you enough.
> 
> If you were one of them, please feel free to send me a request!!! (On or off anon). I will definitely make these requests a priority even though I still have some to get to.


	10. Chapter 10

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> It has been fucking 3 MONTHS EXACTLY since I last updated this fic
> 
> holy shit I am so so so sorry I had no idea it'd been this long???
> 
> anyway here's this

“So, what do we do now?” you asked, staring at Gladio in the dim light from the tent lamp. 

He sighed deeply. “Well, we have to head back to Insomnia first thing in the morning,” he said, an air of disappointment in his voice. “You’re going to miss school and I’ll be late for my shift.”

“That’s not what I meant.” You pouted. 

“I know,” he replied, sitting up with his knees bent, resting his elbows on them. He leaned forward, staring at his hands and taking a deep breath. 

You waited for the rest of his answer, picking nervously at a loose thread on your sleeping bag. 

Finally, Gladio looked at you, his mouth a flat line and eyes clouded with pain. “We can’t do this,” he said sadly. 

You bit your lip, staring at him with questioning eyes. 

“Don’t look at me like that… you know we can’t. Noct, _our friend_ and my somewhat _boss_ is in love with you.”

You opened your mouth to argue but he stopped you. “Bup-bup-bup! Don’t say he hates you, I know that’s not true. He’s still in love with you, because how couldn’t he be? It just hurts him too much to be around you right now. If we get together, and he finds out, it’ll eat him alive. He’ll be worse than heartbroken, and I can’t do that to him.” He let out a defeated sigh. 

“He’ll be off to college soon,” you argued, “Then he’ll be in Tenebrae and he won’t care. Or he won’t have to find out!”

Gladio hung his head. “Babygirl, even if Noct wasn’t an issue, there’s still Iggy. You think your brother is going to be okay with you dating _me_ , of all people? He knows my reputation. He’d probably kill me.”

Gladio turned to look at you, scooting closer to you and taking your hand in his. “Not to mention that you’re from one of the most noble families in Lucis, both from your parents and from Ignis. Everyone will expect you to have a cotillion ball when you finish high school, and you aren’t allowed to date until then.”

You gave him an _Are you serious?_ look. 

“I know it’s old-fashioned, but people still care about those things. I don’t want to ruin your reputation.” He ran his thumb gently along the inside of your hand. 

You crawled out of your sleeping bag and onto Gladio’s, kneeling in front of him with your hand still in his. You clenched your other hand in your lap, trying your hardest not to shake and taking a deep breath before staring into his eyes. 

“I don’t care about my reputation,” you said quickly. “All I want is to be with you. We can keep it a secret, but I don’t care about people finding out. How can we feel this strongly about each other and not act on it?”

“Babygirl, it’s too complicated!” he argued. “I know how these situations work. If we start a relationship and it gets out, they’ll brand you as a floozy, as just another one of my flings. They’ll call you a foolish girl who lusted after the Prince’s Shield so badly she couldn’t even wait until after her cotillion. Your reputation will suffer and so will your family’s, your company’s, and Iggy’s. I can’t do that to you.”

You leaned forward, your face hovering near Gladio’s. “Just kiss me then. Right now, with no one around. No one knows we’re here, and no one will ever find out. Just kiss me, please?” you whispered desperately. 

Gladio looked into your eyes, considering your proposition for a moment. He leaned in, his lips only millimeters away from yours. You could taste his breath, warm and spicy, as it glided over your lips. Then in an instant he pulled back, turning his face away from yours. 

“Babygirl… I want to. I want to kiss you so badly it hurts. But I know if I kiss you now, I’ll never want to stop. I know that once I taste your lips I’ll be addicted, unable to control myself, and I’ll end up getting us caught.” He sighed deeply. “I know it’s hard for you, but please believe it’s even harder for me. To know you’re so close, and yet I can’t have you for another year, if ever.”

“December,” you replied softly. 

“What?”

“December. I’m graduating early. No one knows yet. I’m filing the paperwork after my birthday. So you only have to wait until December,” you explained.

Gladio sighed. “That’s great, cupcake, I’m proud of you, but you’re missing the point. Even if you have your cotillion in December instead of next year, it doesn’t change the other facts. Noct might still be in love with you then, and I doubt Iggy would ever approve of us having a relationship, cotillion or no.”

You couldn’t help yourself; almost instinctively, your bottom lip jutted out and you crossed your arms in front of you. 

“Awww c’mon babygirl, don’t do that to me. You know I can’t resist that cute little pout,” Gladio said. 

“So what are we supposed to do, then?” you asked with a huff. 

“It’s not fair for us to wait for each other when our circumstances might never allow us to be together. I think we should both try to move on, and just stay friends, as hard as that might be,” he replied sadly.

Gladio reached out and pulled you to him, wrapping his arms around you and holding you tight against his chest. He was impossibly warm, his heart beating like thunder next to your ear, and he smelled intoxicating, a mix of sweat and his cologne creating a unique musk that had your heart racing. He inhaled deeply—a long, barely audible sniffle. One of his hands found its way into your hair, gently stroking it and combing it between his fingers. You wanted to be mad at him, to push him away and tell him to fuck off, but being in his arms at that moment was the most comforting thing in the world. He unzipped his sleeping bag then leaned back, lying down with you still in his arms. He pulled the open half of the sleeping bag over the both of you. 

“I can at least do this tonight,” Gladio said quietly as he stroked your back, his other hand still combing through your hair. He pressed a kiss to the top of your head, his body warmth and gentle touches easing you into sleep.

——— 

“What, precisely, is going on here?” Iggy’s voice pulled you from sleep. You thought it was a weird dream until you looked up to see Ignis poking his nose through the opening of the tent. 

You shot up from Gladio’s sleeping bag faster than humanly possible while Gladio slowly awoke.

“Iggy, what are you doing here?” you gasped out. 

“I should ask you the same thing, minette,” Ignis said flatly. He unzipped the tent and walked in. 

“Relax, Iggy,” Gladio said with a yawn as he sat up, rubbing his eyes. “She decided to take a solo trip to the beach, but she didn’t come back. I didn’t want her to get in any trouble, so I went after her. It was too late to drive home by the time I got here so we just camped out. Nothing happened, I swear.”

“A trip to the beach? Since when did that involve sharing a sleeping bag?” Ignis asked, incredulous. 

You were at a loss for words. 

“Relax Iggy, it was cold, and she got sand in her sleeping bag, so she shared mine,” Gladio replied smoothly. 

Ignis gave a huff. “In any case, I have it on good authority that this was not a simple beach trip. I heard a different story, Ms. Platina.”

“W-what do you mean?” You tried to sound confused. 

“Prom said you were running away.” Noctis suddenly appeared in front of the tent, looking from you to Gladio and back at you, glaring into your eyes. “He didn’t say you were running away with _him_ though.”

“Noct?” you whispered. You looked to Gladio, who looked just as shocked and upset as you felt. A lump formed in your throat; you tried to swallow but your mouth had gone dry. 

“How did you find me?” you choked out, looking to Ignis. 

Ignis sighed. He came further into the tent and sat down. Noct stayed outside, sitting by the tent’s entrance, his back to you. 

“Prompto called Noctis to tell him that you had run away. His Highness of course called me, and I had the Crownsguard activate the GPS in your car to locate you. I didn’t realize, however, that you’d already been found.” Ignis gave Gladio a pointed glare. “As your guardian, I should have been notified the moment you went missing.”

“She wasn’t missing,” Gladio argued as he pulled on a jacket. “I knew where she was.”

“So I see.” Ignis clicked his tongue. “You should have informed me of her whereabouts immediately.”

“Iggy, you’ve got enough on your plate to worry about. One night away from home on a little beach excursion wasn’t something I thought you needed to worry about,” Gladio replied, handing you your own jacket.

“How did Prompto know I ran aw—er, was gone?” you asked suspiciously.

“That is—” Ignis started to say before he was interrupted. 

“Sorry. I told him,” Cindy’s sweet drawl came from outside the tent. She stuck her head in the tent and waved, Prompto right behind her. “I was worried ‘bout you hun. Guess I didn’t need to be,” she said with a grin, nodding to Gladio. 

“Astrals take me now…” you said under your breath. “Did you follow Noct and Iggy here?”

“Nah,” Cindy said, “Pawpaw owns the service station in Hammerhead. I asked him if he’d seen a young girl come through. Said he hadn’t, but Takka had. Takka said you were on your way to Galdin Quay. When you didn’t come home again last night, we decided we’d come find you first thing in the morning.”

 _Is this really my life?_ you asked yourself. 

“Are you fucking kidding me?” Gladio piped up. “Everyone out, right now.”

You followed Ignis out of the tent, and Gladio followed you. Noct was still sitting on the ground, acknowledging no one. Cindy and Prompto were standing next to him, Prompto as red and freckled as a strawberry and Cindy smiling sheepishly. Ignis took a few more steps then turned around, facing you and crossing his arms over his chest. Gladio stood a bit off to your side, opposite from Noct but facing you. 

“Everyone is blowing this way out of proportion,” Gladio said. 

Noctis said something under his breath that you couldn’t make out. Prompto and Cindy just stared the ground. Ignis opened his mouth to speak but Gladio cut him off. 

“Look, you’re all freaking out over nothing. Cupcake here just needed some time away from everything and everyone. She’ll be a legal adult in a couple of months, so just let her do what she wants,” Gladio said. 

Ignis gave him a straight-lipped frown. You could tell by the look on his face that he was chewing the inside of his cheek, preventing himself from saying what he really wanted to say while coming up with a more diplomatic version. 

“Ms. Platina is under my care and guardianship until she is of legal age, at which point she can do whatever she pleases, within reason. Until then, however, she is my responsibility and must adhere to my authority,” Ignis said stiffly. “My dear, I hope you realize that I am missing a very important council meeting and that you, His Highness, Ms. Aurum, and Mr. Argentum are all missing school because of your actions.” 

“C’mon Iggy, just admit you were worried and she scared you. Stop trying to beat around the bush with this legal shit,” Gladio replied, his tone judgemental. “Besides, it’s the last week of school, no one is doing any real work anyway.”

“Fine. Minette, you truly scared me by disappearing without letting anyone know. I do not know your reasons and I suspect that I don’t want to. I just hope that you aren’t doing anything that could jeopardize your future,” Ignis said as he stared at you. His tone was sharp, but the concern in his eyes was soft and genuine. 

“You really worried me too, hun,” Cindy said softly. Prompto just nodded his agreement. 

Noctis remained silent, staring off in the opposite direction. 

“Well now that that’s over, we should all get back home,” Gladio said to break the awkward silence.

Ignis gave you a stern look. “You’ll ride with me and His Highness. We’ll have your car towed back to Insomnia. You are forbidden to drive it for the next month,” Ignis said flatly. “Not that you should be driving alone in any case—you still haven’t completed your driving test.”

Gladio narrowed his eyes at you—he hadn’t known that little bit of information. 

You hung your head as you walked towards Ignis, avoiding everyone’s gaze. Ignis then turned to Noctis. “Your Highness, please stop pouting and come to the car. Perhaps we can make it back in time for the end of the council meeting and your last classes of the day,” Ignis said, exasperated. 

You thought you heard him whisper under his breath, _“These children will be the death of me.”_

Noctis stood up, not looking at anyone as he walked away from the campsite.

“Hey Iggy, I know you gotta rush to get to your council meeting—why don’t you let Noct ride back to school with Cindy and Prompto?” Gladio asked. “And I can hook cupcake’s car to my tow hitch and she can ride with me,” he added casually. 

Ignis narrowed his eyes at Gladio. “Why would I ever agree to something like that? You’ve obviously had your hand in—” Ignis gestured towards you and the campsite “—all of this. My apologies for not being able to trust you.” Ignis very pointedly adjusted his gloves before turning to walk away. 

“I think _Ms. Platina_ could use some tough love, and being trapped in a car with me lecturing her for 3 hours would be quite effective,” Gladio said. 

Ignis stopped walking, though he didn’t turn around; you could practically see his ears perk up. 

“You’ll be too busy on your Bluetooth catching up on your meetings that you won’t have time for a proper lecture. And letting her go with her friends is hardly a punishment,” Gladio continued. “That way you can have the car to yourself for your conference calls or whatever else you need to do while you rush back to the Citadel.”

Ignis turned around, pushing his glasses up on his nose with a loud sigh. “Fine. But see that she makes it home by supper-time.” He turned to Noctis. “Make sure you text me when you arrive back in Insomnia,” he said. He gave Cindy and Prompto a stern look. “And please don’t get into any trouble. I’ve had enough for one day.”

“Yes sir!” Cindy replied cheerfully. “C’mon Noct, my truck’s over there,” she said, pointing across the beach. She’d driven right up onto the sand, of course. 

Ignis gave you one final threatening look before rushing off to his car. He’d driven Noct’s Audi, as he tended to do when traveling with the Prince. It was an easy bet that Iggy drove the car more than Noctis ever did. 

Cindy gave you a hug, whispering in your ear that she was glad you’re okay and that things seemed to be going well with Gladio, _if ya know what I mean._ When she let you go, you saw Prompto standing with Noctis at the edge of the campsite. He was whispering something in the Prince’s ear and Noct made a face, then sighed and walked back towards you. 

Noctis stood in front of you, staring at his feet as he spoke. “I’m glad you’re okay,” he mumbled quietly, digging one foot into the ground. 

You were about to reply when Prompto came up and gave Noctis a gentle smack on the back. 

The Prince groaned almost silently, then turned his gaze up to look into your eyes. “I was really worried. I’m sorry if I was part of the reason you ran away. I mean, if you really were trying to run away,” he added, giving Gladio an accusatory look. 

You jumped forward, wrapping your arms around Noct. “Thank you, Noct. Thank you for coming to find me. It means a lot that you still care,” you said softly. 

He awkwardly returned your hug, then pulled away quickly. “Um, I guess see you later,” he said with a half wave, grabbing Prom and jogging over to Cindy’s truck. Prompto yelled a quick goodbye and Cindy ran over to join them, leaving you alone with Gladio again. 

“What the fuck just happened?” he asked you. His tone was playful, but the look in his eyes was serious. 

“I have no idea…” you replied, “This whole thing is completely insane.”

“See how many people care about you, babygirl? They were all worried enough to track you down, and those are just the people that knew you were missing,” Gladio said, starting to clean up the campsite. 

You didn’t know how to respond, so you just helped him take down the tent and gather up your supplies. 

“After we get this stuff to the car I’ll go get us some breakfast sandwiches or something,” Gladio said as you lugged all of the camping equipment over to his SUV. 

Once the car was loaded you followed Gladio to the resort so you could use the restroom. When you came out you saw Gladio talking to the chef, a pretty blonde woman a few years older than him. He was leaning on the counter between them, giving her that signature smirk, and she was blushing and laughing into her hand. You couldn’t help but stare, a mix of jealousy and shame rising up like bile in your throat. You went to stand by the pier, not taking your eyes off the pair. Gladio kept talking to the chef, continuing to make her laugh and blush as she prepared two breakfast sandwiches. When she was finished she put them in a paper bag, then drew a heart on the front, batting her eyelashes at Gladio. He turned around just in time to catch the appalled look on your face. 

You immediately ran to the parking lot, pointedly ignoring Gladio calling after you. His long legs made it easy for him to catch up, and he was by your side before you’d reached the end of the pier. 

“Something wrong, babygirl?” he asked, though his tone said he knew everything already. He tried to wrap his arm around your shoulders but you shook him off. 

“Is this about Coctura? The chef at the resort?” he asked as you walked into the parking lot. 

You remained silent. Gladio unlocked the SUV and opened the passenger door for you. You got in and slammed the door behind you, almost hitting Gladio in the process. You buckled your seatbelt and crossed your arms over your chest, spitefully staring straight ahead instead of looking at him. Gladio knocked loudly on the window to get your attention.

“I need your keys so I can move your car, sweetheart,” Gladio said through the window. 

You fished through your purse and grabbed the car key, then opened the door a tiny bit and threw the key at Gladio. 

“Gee, thanks,” he said sarcastically. He spent the next several minutes moving your car to line it up behind his, then attaching it to his tow-hitch and making sure it was secure. 

When he finally got back into the car you held out your hand to take your key back, but he just stuck it in his pocket. 

“Nope, sorry babygirl, I have express orders from your brother to give your key directly to him once we’re back in Insomnia,” Gladio said as he started up the SUV. “Plus, this attitude you’re giving me right now? I’m not a fan.”

You reached over to the dash to turn on the radio as Gladio pulled onto the road. 

“I guess you’re just gonna give me the silent treatment, then?” he asked. You responded by taking your cell phone out of your purse and turning it on, ignoring Gladio completely. 

“Holy fuck,” you swore when your phone started up. 

_27 New Voicemails_

_183 New Text Messages_

“Hey, watch the language missy. This is a car, not a casino,” Gladio said. 

You were already engrossed in going through your messages. Most of the voicemails were from Gladio—you wouldn’t give him the satisfaction of listening to them right now. One was from Ignis this morning—the transcription of the voicemail on your phone was enough for you to know you didn’t want to listen to that one either. One was from Cindy, warning you that she was really worried and she was going to tell Prompto if she didn’t hear from you. Oops. Seems that the whole situation this morning could have been avoided if you’d only talked with Cindy. 

Once you’d gotten the gist of your voicemails you began to tackle the text messages. Most of them were of course from Gladio—apologizing for upsetting you, begging you to contact him, telling you how worried he was, and finally some messages letting you know he was coming to find you. Cindy’s texts were somewhat similar, though there were far fewer. You’d even gotten a text from Noctis: _I can’t believe you ran away. Everyone’s worried sick._ Yeah, thanks Noct. Finally you got to Ignis’ messages. You saw the most recent ones first— _We’re coming to get you_ and _You’re grounded forever_ were the basic tone of his messages. As you scrolled up you read more about how he’d tried to call you, how Noctis had heard you’d run away, etc. etc. When you finally reached the oldest messages from Ignis, a few days prior, you almost dropped your phone. 

_Minette, I went to the palace jeweler to return your jewelry._

_They said it wasn’t on loan, it had been purchased._

_I asked them to look up the buyer in their system as a favor to me._

_The jewelry was purchased by Gladiolus—you may wish to ask him about it._

Completely forgoing your silent treatment, you turned to Gladio. “ _You_ bought that jewelry for me?” you asked, completely incredulous. 

For once the giant Shield looked insecure. “What if I did?” he asked defensively.

“And the salon appointments? Those were you too?” you snapped.

“Iris helped,” he replied, voice low. 

“Why? Why spend all that money and go through all that trouble? It was just a stupid high school dance. I wasn’t even your date!” you argued. 

Gladio’s voice was calm and soft as he explained simply, “I wanted you to feel as beautiful as you are.”

You were vaguely aware of your phone slipping from your hand as you stared wide-eyed at Gladio. You waited for him to continue, to explain more, but he remained silent, looking straight ahead at the road. 

“I...um...Thank you,” you said hesitantly. Your head was still spinning, a cocktail of emotions filling your stomach as you processed everything. “But why didn’t you tell me it was you?”

“Would it have mattered?” Gladio asked. He sounded bitter. 

“Of course it would have!” you cried. “I mean, shit, for fuck’s sake I thought we were going to kiss in my apartment before Noct showed up!”

Gladio turned his head completely away from the road to look at you for a moment. “You would have let me kiss you?”

You face-palmed. “Are you kidding me? I even leaned in! I had my eyes closed and everything!”

“I would have…” Gladio replied sadly. “But I was just caught up in the moment. I knew I shouldn’t have, and Noct showing up brought me to my senses. I was going to tell you about the jewelry and everything too… I had planned to tell you while we were dancing, holding you in my arms and telling you how amazing you looked. But then _all that_ happened and...I never got the chance. I figured you were better off not knowing after that.”

You rolled down the window a bit, closing your eyes and letting the breeze run across your face. “I guess it doesn’t matter now,” you said under your breath. “You’ve already moved on.”

Gladio immediately pulled off the road, slamming on the brakes. “So you are mad about Coctura!”

“More like Cock-turner,” you mumbled. 

“Seriously? Are you 12?” Gladio took off his seatbelt and got out of the car. He began pacing angrily, stopping every time he passed the car to kick the front tire. He was angrier than you’d ever seen him, and you weren’t sure how to react. He finally came around to the passenger side of the car and opened your door.

You unbuckled your seatbelt, staring up at him nervously. You thought he was going to make you get out of the car, but he just stood there, glaring at you. 

“You think I want Coctura?” he asked roughly. He didn’t give you time to answer. “Yeah, I totally wanna get with Coctura. In the less than 12 hours that I told you how I feel about you, I got over you and decided I want to be with a woman I just met who lives 3 hours away. I totally wasn’t using my charm and good looks to get a deal on our breakfast sandwiches, no, of course not. I would never chat casually and be personable with someone who is doing me a service by making me food, no way,” he snarked. 

You inhaled sharply through your nostrils, your nails digging into the palms of your hands as you clenched your fists.

“Yeah, it’s a good thing I’ve moved on so quickly. Hopefully you’ll be able to follow my lead and get over me already,” Gladio continued. “Then you and Prince Charmless can live happily ever after and I can fuck whomever I want to!”

In an instant your hand was flying, colliding with Gladio’s face at a high velocity. You expected to hear a slap before Gladio’s head snapped in the opposite direction, but it was more of a thud. You looked at your hand and realized it was still clutched in a tight fist, and a split second later you felt the throb of pain in your knuckles. You looked back at Gladio so that you could apologize, only to find him staring at you with a grin on his face.

“That’s my girl.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter is dedicated to Idoru42 for their super generous donation to my Ko-fi! <3 <3 <3 <3 Idoru42, if you have any requests for a fic or anything please let me know, and thank you so so so so much for your donation! :)

**Author's Note:**

> I'm on tumblr:
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